I’ve tried a lot of ready meals. Some are just as you imagine ready meals to be – bland, unhealthy and not filling. My experience with the Field Doctor ready meals has been very different!
Their meals are currently the only decent option for all of us underserved IBS sufferers! They have been created with FODMAPs and food intolerances in mind. Meaning, if you have any gut problems you too can rely on the convenience of a healthy and tasty ready meal.
In this thorough and honest Field Doctor review I will be discussing everything from the flavours and ingredients to the portion sizing and diets.
Pros
- Flavourful food
- Good portion sizing
- Vegan and gluten-free options
- Specialist diets covered
- Large range of cuisines
Cons
- No exclusive vegan meal plans
- Some food goes mushy
| Size | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1-person meal | From £6.99 |
| 2-person meal | From £11.39 |
What is Field Doctor?
Field Doctor is a food brand that offers expertly crafted, nutritionally balanced ready meals. These meals are thoughtfully designed by dieticians and prepared by skilled chefs. Operating from their kitchen in Somerset, they cook each meal in small batches. Their delivery service is available nationwide from Tuesday to Saturday, ensuring convenient access to their wholesome creations.
All their meals are made using natural ingredients and contain at least 2 of your 5 a day. They make sure to create a wide range of meals to suit different tastes and diets. For example, they cater for vegan diets, IBS, coeliac, low FODMAP, gluten-free diets, and more.
Are Field Doctor meals frozen?
All Field Doctor meals are delivered frozen within insulated packaging and dry ice packets. This is because they are cooked fresh in their kitchen before being flash-frozen, to pack in all the flavours and nutrients.
Ready meals you will find in the supermarket fridge section are normally packed full of preservatives to ensure they have a long shelf life. By flash-freezing their meals, Field Doctor can keep theirs entirely additive-free.
You can decant the frozen meals straight into your freezer and store them for a few months. Alternatively, you can put them straight into your fridge where they will begin defrosting. Make sure to eat any defrosted meals within 48 hours.
Is Field Doctor organic?
Field Doctor incorporates organic ingredients into their culinary creations, although their overall product line does not exclusively adhere to an organic standard. Their commitment to quality extends to championing British ingredients whenever feasible, reflecting a dedication to supporting local producers and maintaining traceable sourcing practices.
While not entirely organic, Field Doctor’s emphasis on using organic ingredients when suitable shows their commitment to both taste and responsible sourcing.
My experience
Here is a breakdown of what I thought about Field Doctor’s meals, covering the flavour, texture, portion sizes and diets.
Flavours
Overall, I found their food to be quite flavourful. This came as a surprise when I found out they use less salt, fat and sugar than most other ready meals. They are simply leaving the natural and nutritious ingredients to do all the talking!
For example, I found their Plant Lasange to be rich and hearty. I enjoyed the flavour so much that I would go as far as to say that it is one of the best lasagnes I’ve ever had. I also thoroughly enjoyed the smoky taste of their bean chilli.
Textures
I wasn’t always that impressed by the textures of the ready meals. Quite a few of the meals that I reheated went a little bit mushy, particularly the ones that used gluten-free pasta. For example, the pasta in my Smoked Mushroom Carbonara broke down into tiny mushy chunks.
That being said, texture seems to be a universal issue shared by most ready meal companies.
The meals that did maintain a better texture included ones with rice, beans and chunks of vegetables. Like their 3 Bean + Smoked Tofu Chilli and their Keralan Vegetable + Coconut Curry.
Portion sizing
All of the meals I tried from Field Doctor were really well portioned. I didn’t finish any meal still feeling hungry nor did I suffer from an energy slump after eating. The portion sizing is spot on!
I found I had sustained energy after eating and never felt groggy. However, the latter is probably also down to the fact that these meals have been designed with nutrition in mind. Therefore, I was able to eat vegan meals that were also gluten-free, giving my gut an easier time digesting the food!
Diets
I love the fact that there are many specialist diets covered in Field Doctor’s ready meal selection. This meant that I was able to order fully vegan meals that were also gluten-free and low FODMAP friendly. This is a really quite specific criterion that no other ready meal company has been able to offer. Plus, Field Doctor had quite a few options for me within this criteria!
They also have a great range of weekly meal plans that cover either 5 or 7 days, providing you with both lunch and dinner. However, I think it is a shame that there are no exclusive vegan meal plans. That being said, if you are happy to choose some of their other weekly meal plans, like their gluten-free plan, then you can select all the meals to be vegan. Or you can create your own meal plan from scratch and pick only vegan meals.
My verdict
Overall, I have to say that Field Doctor meals are really good and worth buying. Particularly if you have any specific dietary requirements. That is because Field Doctor is the only ready meal company I have seen to take diets and nutrition this seriously, particularly low-FODMAP and gluten-free diets.
I also found the food to be flavoursome and well-portioned. Although, some of the food did go mushy once it was fully reheated. Despite this, I always finished my meals feeling satisfied and pleasantly full. The mushy texture normally only affected ingredients like the gluten-free pasta, and didn’t ruin any of the whole grains, legumes and vegetables.
Where can you buy Field Doctor?
At this current moment, Field Doctor meals can only be bought from their website – fielddoctor.co.uk
On their website, you can set up a subscription or make a one-off purchase. You can select from 1 or 2-person meals and buy from a wide range of diets and cuisines. Alternatively, you can sign up for one of their weekly meal plans.
| Size | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1-person meal | From £6.99 |
| 2-person meal | From £11.39 |
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