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Real Life Diet Questions Answered

Janet Aylott
Nutritionist

Posted 05 Dec 12

Are pre packed meals okay to have every now and then?

I am eating pre packed meals for my main meal of the day as I find these more convenient at the moment and one of my down sides to my diets failing in the past is the lack of enthusiasm to cook when I get in from work. I wanted to check that as long as I am within my daily allowance these meals are ok? I eat them with lots of fresh veg etc.

Our expert says...

Including pre-packed meals as part of a healthy balanced diet is fine, and it's great that you're including lots of fresh veg to go with them. My only slight concern for you is that you're having them every day, which could have an impact on some of the important nutrients in the diet.

 

Keeping within your calorie allowance is of course important for your weight loss, but you should also keep a check on total fat, saturated fat and salt levels in the meals that you're buying. Pre Packed meals tend to have more fat, saturated fat and salt compared to what you might cook

yourself. That said, most of the big supermarkets have done great work in making their pre-packed meals healthier.

 

Use nutritional labelling to choose healthier options where you can - the guideline daily amount for fat is 70g, saturated fat is 20g and salt 6g, so make sure your meals aren't giving you too much in any of these groups. The other thing to think about is what you're eating the rest of the day to balance out the main meal you're having. If you know you've had a meal that is higher in salt at lunchtime, choose a lower salt option in the evening. It's all about balance.

 

Another option is to find some easy to cook alternatives to pre-packed foods. Could you make a pasta salad, take homemade soup in a flask, blast a jacket potato in the microwave, wholemeal sandwich with salad and lean protein maybe?

 

Another thing to try if you can is to bulk cook at the weekends when you do have the time to make a meal. Things like a basic Bolognese can be had in so many different ways (with wholemeal pasta, with salad and pitta’s, brown rice, in a jacket potato, in a lasagne, made into a chilli etc) and is easily frozen. Make a batch lot on a Sunday and you can then just microwave a pre portioned serving to yourself when you’re back from work. This way you know exactly what you’re adding in, and how much salt / fat is being used, and add extra vegetables where you can to count towards your 5-a-day.

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