Shopping and meals

If you, or someone you care for, are having difficulties preparing and cooking your own meals, there are various options you could choose to help make mealtimes easier.

Help from friends or family

Consider asking a friend or family member for help. Often people can pick up your shopping when they are doing their own shopping or run your errands when they are out and about.

Supermarket shopping

Many supermarkets and food delivery services offer home delivery for foods bought online and you could choose ready meals including frozen meals, that can be heated in a microwave or a conventional oven as an alternative.

For advice on shopping and paying safely online, see the Money Advice Service

The following are some examples of supermarkets and companies who offer home deliveries:

• Ocado
• Morrison's
• Sainsbury’s
• Tesco
• Waitrose

Frozen Meals

These companies will deliver a week or more supply of frozen meals

• Oakhouse Foods - weekly delivery of frozen meals
• Wiltshire Farm Foods - weekly or fortnightly delivery of frozen meals
• Punjab Kitchen – Halal meals, contact for further details.  Telephone 0191 456 0456, email info@punjabkitchen.co.uk
• Hermolis - Kosher meals. Delivery of a minimum of ten meals at a time. Prices and delivery costs on request. See Hermolis Menu (PDF) Telephone 020 8810 4321, email sales@hermolis.com
• Blue Mountain Foods - Caribbean and West Indian meals. Minimum order 12 meals

Lunch Clubs

Some community centres will provide an inexpensive cooked meal as a service for people who have difficulty cooking for themselves, or would like an opportunity to go out to be with other people.

Age UK Lunch Club

Tower Hamlets Community Catalogue - Lunch Clubs

Help to prepare your own meals, independently

Tower Hamlets Community Catalogue provides a list of organisations which can give you advice about equipment which may help you to prepare food and cook independently:

Tower Hamlets Community Catalogue - Equipment