Ready meals are pre-prepared meals that come packaged and ready to heat. Many ready meals fall obviously into the junk food category as they contain very low amounts of essential nutrients and high amounts of fat, salt and sugar. Certain ready meals are marketed as “healthy”, and many people buy these under the illusion that they are a convenient way to eat healthy food. However, there are a number of caveats that need to be considered. Firstly, the food tends to be very overpriced, particularly when compared to meals that are quick and easy to prepare, like beans on toast or egg on toast. Secondly, the level of nutrition within such ready meals tends to fall way short of that which can be provided by using raw ingredients. Even healthy ready meals are limited in their nutritional capacity. Thirdly, despite being marketed as healthy, they also tend to have a large amount of added salt, preservatives or both, as extending the shelf life increases the profits of the manufacturers. Therefore as with all food choices, buyer beware.
Eat Well, Stay Healthy, Protect Yourself
RdB
