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10 Best Ready Meals 2022 | UK Nutritionist Reviewed

Ready meals have had somewhat of a bad rep since their conception in the 1950s, but we say, quash those thoughts of unappetising foil-trayed TV dinners! Instant food has never looked so good, with supermarkets now catering to all of our foodie desires, be it calorie-controlled or muscle-building meals, a vegetarian or vegan lasagne or a healthy take on a curry or Chinese.

Talk to any household and they'll all give a completely different answer when it comes to taste preferences, budget and dietary requirements, so what constitutes the best ready meal? Our guide and top picks are here to reveal all. We've got recommendations for camping and fussy kids, gourmet suppers for one and everything in between, all ready for delivery from Tesco, ASDA, Waitrose and Amazon. Also, we have partnered with Nutritionist Tara Corbett for reviewing and fact-checking the article so that we can deliver the best information to our users.

Last updated: 09-05-2022

Compare the Best Ready Meals

For those after a quick look, here is our Top 5:

Tesco - Finest Chicken Madeira & Mushroom Rice for £3.75
Weight Watchers - Red Thai Curry & Sticky Jasmine Rice for £2.65
Charlie Bigham's - Lasagne for Two for £8.25
Ashoka - Punjabi Choley for £1.50
ASDA - Spaghetti Bolognese for £2.75

For a more in-depth look at the comprehensive top 10 selection, make sure to read on to learn more about the different types of ready meals available and understand how our ranking was determined.

This article's chosen EC site price listings are reflective of its publishing date.

Image	1 Tesco	2 Weight Watchers	3 Charlie Bigham's	4 Ashoka	5 ASDA	6 Amy's Kitchen	7 Mr Lee's Noodles	8 ASDA	9 Morrisons	10 Morrisons
Name	Finest Chicken Madeira & Mushroom Rice	Red Thai Curry & Sticky Jasmine Rice	Lasagne for Two	Punjabi Choley	Spaghetti Bolognese	Gluten-Free Rice Mac & Cheese	Meat Lovers Box	Chinese Sweet & Sour Chicken with Egg Fried Rice	The Best Garlic & Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms	The Best Green Vegetable Medley With Jersey Butter
Features	Utterly Divine Comfort Food in Under 10 Minutes	Ideal for Takeaway Lovers Watching the Calories	A Rich, Beefy and Satisfying Lasagne That Tastes Like Homemade	A Mouthwatering Shelf-Stable Curry Meal	A Comforting Pasta Dish That Can Be Ready in under 3 Minutes	An Organic, Gluten-Free and Kid-Friendly Version of a Classic	A Healthier Cup Noodle for a Quick Lunch	Your Go-to Chinese Takeout Dish	A Vegetarian Meal Using Only the Finest Ingredients	An Assortment of Green Vegetables for 1 of Your 5 a Day
Price	£3.75	£2.65	£8.25	£1.50	£2.75	£2.70	£13.50	£1.60	£1.99	£2.75
Meal Type	Comfort food, Italian	Diet, Thai	Italian	Indian	Comfort food, Italian	Pasta, organic	Various, East Asian	Asian	Vegetarian	Vegetarian
Diets Suitable For	Gluten-free recipe	Gluten-free recipe	-	Vegan, gluten-free, halal	-	Gluten-free, vegetarian, Kosher	Gluten-free	-	Vegetarians	Vegetarians
Sugar/Sat. Fat/Salt Per Serving	4.6 g, 7 g, 1.3 g	5.3 g, 3 g, 1.3 g	9.3 g, 17.3 g, 1.9 g	0 g, 10 g, 1.7 g	1.6, 1.5, 0.42	6 g, 10 g, 1.5 g	Various	8.7 g, 0.7 g, 0.54 g	3.2 g, 10 g, 1.12 g	7 g, 2.6 g, 0.1 g
Calories Per Serving	571	350	650	240	440	400	218, 222, 274	475	298	108
5-a-Day	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	1
Portion Size	450 g, serves 1	380 g, serves 1	690 g, serves 2	280 g, serves 1-2	400 g, serves 1	255 g, serves 1	6 x 1-serving pots	400 g, serves 1	200 g, serves 2	260 g, serves 2
Heating Methods	Microwave	Microwave	Oven only	Hob, microwave	Microwave, oven	Microwave, oven	Add hot water	Microwave, oven	Microwave, oven	Microwave
Storage	Fridge (6+ days), freezer	Fridge	Fridge (4+ days)	Cupboard	Frozen	Freezer	Cupboard	Freezer	Fridge	Fridge
Link	View Tesco	View ASDA	View Amazon Fresh View Tesco View Waitrose	View Amazon View Tesco	View ASDA	View ASDA	View Mr Lees Noodles	View ASDA	View Morrisons	View Morrisons

Fact-Checked & Approved by Nutritionist Tara Corbett

Tara is a nutritionist and energy coach who helps clients to lose weight, improve their eating habits, and get their energy back through better nutrition. She specialises in helping busy parents improve their diets without overwhelming them with information, and get them back on track so that the whole family can benefit.

How to Choose a Ready Meal in the UK

Key Points to Consider

Pick a Type of Meal According to Your Dietary Needs
Take a Look at the Nutrition Facts to Assess If Your Meal Is Healthy
Check the Serving Size, Pack Size, and Whether Additional Dishes Are Required
Ensure You Have the Right Appliances for Storing and Heating

1. What's on the Menu? Think About the Type of Meal and Any Dietary Requirements

Pick the Type of Meal Based on Preference, Budget and Quality

Whether you see food as a necessary fuel or one of life's great pleasures, you're still going to want a meal you like the taste of. Try narrowing your online search to your favourite cuisines and parts of the world you like to eat from. Then, you can decide which of these are within your budget.

For maximum taste and quality, look for ready meals that are made from mostly real, whole ingredients. A great way to check is by reading the ingredient list - if the majority of the items listed are real foods you recognise and would have in your fridge and cupboard, then it's a healthier ready meal.

You could also plump for organic meals or those made with free-range or British ingredients if shopping and eating ethically are important to you. They normally result in a higher quality meal, too.

Dietary Needs Don't Mean Missing Out on Your Favourites

Nowadays supermarkets are stacked to the rafters withdedicated dietary-friendly items, so don't think you'll have to miss out when buying a ready meal online. Whether you're vegetarian, vegan, or avoiding dairy or gluten, chances are a brand or supermarket have an entire free from ready meal range, or at least a few variations of old favourites like curries and pasta dishes.

The demand for meals that meet our dietary needs has also meant that supermarkets are getting better at listing whether each product is halal, vegetarian and so on, as well as any common allergens. It may be worth checking what's inside the meal you like the look of anyway, as there's a chance it's suitable for you even if it's not part of a dedicated range!

For days when you don't mind putting in some work, these meal kits can give you a hearty meal in minutes!

2. Scan the Nutritional Information to Know Whether Your Ready Meal Is Healthy

Follow the Recommended Guidelines: Less Than 1.5 g Salt and 7 g Saturated Fat With Around 700 Calories

Whether you're actively counting calories or other nutrients or you'd just like to have the guesswork taken out so you can grab and go, the key is to check the nutritional information.

While your calorie intake will vary depending on your body type and energy expenditure, there are some guidelines to follow to make sure you're not overdoing it on the other nutritionals. Although don't forget the odd treat meal or indulgence is fine, and healthy for the mind if nothing else!

Sugar:The daily recommendation is 30 grams, which can be divided between each of your meals.
Saturated Fat:7 grams or less per serving.
Salt:1.5 grams or less per serving.
Calories: Up to 700 per serving (as an evening meal), based on the recommended 2000-2500 daily intake for most normal, active adults.

Check for Lighter Ranges and Meals That Contribute to Your 5-a-Day

Not all of us are into calorie counting or have time to scan the labels – hence the ready meal – but there are some other tricks you can employ to ensure you're getting a balanced, nutritious meal. The first is to choose one marketed as a balanced or healthier choice, as these are often lower in calories and fat.

Secondly, check how many portions of vegetables are included in the ready meal – if it has any worthy health credentials, it'll proudly display how many on the packet. This is also a good tip if you're trying to get more veg into your diet. Otherwise, look for vegetables in the first few ingredients, alongside protein and carbohydrate sources.

3. Note the Serving Size, the Pack Size and Whether Additional Sides Are Required

Ready meals are a great way to take the strain off cooking for both multiple and single mouths, so to make sure you and your diners don't finish the meal as hungry as when you started, always check the portion size.

Meals for one not sufficient? Some supermarkets now offer bundles or multipacks of meals with 3-5 different dishes to sample. This is a great way to order what you need for you or your household without hours of browsing, plus it often works out a little cheaper.

It could also be beneficial to note exactly what's included in the portion, as some ready meals are intended to only be part of your plate, and may require you to prepare extra side dishes such as vegetables or rice. On the plus side, this is a way of saving time while filling up on fresh veg (and pretending you cooked it all yourself).

If you enjoy cooking at home but don't enjoy doing the shopping, check out our favourite recipe boxes that will give you just the right amount of ingredients you need to whip up a delicious meal!

4. Make Sure the Heating and Storing Requirements Will Work for You

Believe it or not, some ready meals aren't actually safe for microwave cooking! Make sure to check how your meal is able to be reheated to save yourself disappointment and forego a potential safety hazard.

Don't forget to check the storage information, too, as some meals will be best kept frozen, some chilled, and some will even be fine in the cupboard. The beauty of ordering ready meals online, particularly those that are freezer-safe, is that you can stock up – which is why the storage duration is also an important factor to consider.

Browse our low-calorie ready meal suggestions here!

10 Best Ready Meals in the UK

This ranking has been compiled by the writing team at mybest UK via careful evaluation of the points made in the buying guide and thorough research of each product and comparing multiple verified customer reviews across the EC sites used.

Meal Type	Comfort food, Italian
Diets Suitable For	Gluten-free recipe
Sugar/Sat. Fat/Salt Per Serving	4.6 g, 7 g, 1.3 g
Calories Per Serving	571
5-a-Day	-
Portion Size	450 g, serves 1
Heating Methods	Microwave
Storage	Fridge (6+ days), freezer

Meal Type	Diet, Thai
Diets Suitable For	Gluten-free recipe
Sugar/Sat. Fat/Salt Per Serving	5.3 g, 3 g, 1.3 g
Calories Per Serving	350
5-a-Day	-
Portion Size	380 g, serves 1
Heating Methods	Microwave
Storage	Fridge

Meal Type	Italian
Diets Suitable For	-
Sugar/Sat. Fat/Salt Per Serving	9.3 g, 17.3 g, 1.9 g
Calories Per Serving	650
5-a-Day	-
Portion Size	690 g, serves 2
Heating Methods	Oven only
Storage	Fridge (4+ days)

Meal Type	Indian
Diets Suitable For	Vegan, gluten-free, halal
Sugar/Sat. Fat/Salt Per Serving	0 g, 10 g, 1.7 g
Calories Per Serving	240
5-a-Day	1
Portion Size	280 g, serves 1-2
Heating Methods	Hob, microwave
Storage	Cupboard

Meal Type	Comfort food, Italian
Diets Suitable For	-
Sugar/Sat. Fat/Salt Per Serving	1.6, 1.5, 0.42
Calories Per Serving	440
5-a-Day	-
Portion Size	400 g, serves 1
Heating Methods	Microwave, oven
Storage	Frozen

Meal Type	Pasta, organic
Diets Suitable For	Gluten-free, vegetarian, Kosher
Sugar/Sat. Fat/Salt Per Serving	6 g, 10 g, 1.5 g
Calories Per Serving	400
5-a-Day	-
Portion Size	255 g, serves 1
Heating Methods	Microwave, oven
Storage	Freezer

Meal Type	Various, East Asian
Diets Suitable For	Gluten-free
Sugar/Sat. Fat/Salt Per Serving	Various
Calories Per Serving	218, 222, 274
5-a-Day	-
Portion Size	6 x 1-serving pots
Heating Methods	Add hot water
Storage	Cupboard

Meal Type	Asian
Diets Suitable For	-
Sugar/Sat. Fat/Salt Per Serving	8.7 g, 0.7 g, 0.54 g
Calories Per Serving	475
5-a-Day	-
Portion Size	400 g, serves 1
Heating Methods	Microwave, oven
Storage	Freezer

Meal Type	Vegetarian
Diets Suitable For	Vegetarians
Sugar/Sat. Fat/Salt Per Serving	3.2 g, 10 g, 1.12 g
Calories Per Serving	298
5-a-Day	1
Portion Size	200 g, serves 2
Heating Methods	Microwave, oven
Storage	Fridge

Meal Type	Vegetarian
Diets Suitable For	Vegetarians
Sugar/Sat. Fat/Salt Per Serving	7 g, 2.6 g, 0.1 g
Calories Per Serving	108
5-a-Day	1
Portion Size	260 g, serves 2
Heating Methods	Microwave
Storage	Fridge

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Written and Researched by Natasha Dziubajlo

About Specialist Fact-Checked Articles

Tara Corbett

Nutritionist

Tara Corbett

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