An inconvenient truth: Health experts reveal ready meals not so convenient for good health
by Amelia Harray, Dietitian
- November 14, 2017
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As featured on Today Tonight.
Time poor West Australians are helping to fuel an increased demand for ready meals on supermarket shelves. Moving from the frozen food aisle, ready meals are now also available in the chilled aisle and considered an affordable meal option for many WA families.
Yet, as LiveLighter’s recent Convenience Meal Survey reveals, despite the perceived cheap healthy option, ready meals can come at a health cost with some containing as many kilojoules as a fast food meal deal.
“With our busy lives, a growing number of options in the supermarket and clever marketing, it’s not surprising people are increasingly turning to convenience meals,” says LiveLighter Dietitian Amelia
McCain Man Size Bangers, Onion, Gravy and Creamy Mash contained nearly as many kilojoules as a McDonalds Big Mac, medium chips and medium coke put together. This ready meal had the largest serving size, contained the most saturated fat per 100g and contained an entire day’s maximum salt allowance* in its one serving.
“LiveLighter analysed 154 varieties of frozen and chilled meals and, while most met recommendations for sugar, there were significant differences in their energy (kilojoule), fibre, saturated fat and sodium (salt) content,” says
“It’s important to read the Nutrition Information Panel when purchasing processed meals,” says
With most of the ready meals surveyed containing the maximum amount of sodium an Australian adult should eat in the day, Maria Szybiak, LiveLighter’s Campaign Director says, “Diets high in salt increase the risk of heart disease and stroke”.
When it comes to price, don’t be tempted by supermarket promotions. The price of meals surveyed varied from $4.80 to $24/kilo compared to healthier options such as frozen vegetables ($1.60/kilo) and frozen fish fillets (from $6/kilo).
Being prepared and planning ahead is key when it comes to managing a busy lifestyle. While the price promotion may seem ‘cheap’, in
“We understand it’s not always easy to be prepared, yet meal planning and preparing meals at home can be really helpful when trying to reduce
“Preparing meals at home using whole ingredients increases your chances of eating a healthier diet. Cooking when you have time and freezing individual meals can provide a healthier alternative to pre-packaged frozen meals,”
Among the convenience meal salt offenders, containing too much sodium were Birds Eye Hoisin Pulled Pork with
LiveLighter’s Meal Tips:
- Where possible, prepare meals at home. See the LiveLighter website for free healthy and convenient
dietitian approved recipes. - Read the Nutrition Information Panel and look for convenience meals with less than 400mg of
sodium per 100g and more than 3g offibre per serving.
LiveLighter’s Convenience Meal Worst Offenders
McCain Man Size – Bangers, onion and gravy with creamy mash |
McCain Man Size – Grilled Chicken and Bacon |
McCain Man Size – Chicken Kiev |
McCain Tuna Mornay |
McCain - Fettucine Carbonara with bacon and mushroom creamy sauce |
Coles - Tuna Bake |
Kraft – Mac Four Cheeses |
Kraft – Mac and Cheese Cheesy Bolognese |
Coles – Beef Lasagne |
Note: Findings are based on the nutrition information panels found on products for sale in Coles and Woolworths in Subiaco, Western Austra