Nutrition

Are ready meals healthy?

I find microwave meals an easy way to eat at lunchtime, and the packets say they have 8g of fat and less than 500 calories, but my colleagues are always tutting and saying I shouldn't eat them. What, if any, are the problems with these ready meals?
A Harding, Tunbridge Wells

Sarah Schenker from the British Nutrition Foundation replies:
A meal of 500 cals and 8g of fat is providing only 15 per cent of the energy from fat, which is pretty healthy, but where possible opt for meals that are low in saturates as these are the fats that can increase blood cholesterol levels.

The problem with microwave-ready meals is that they usually contain large amounts of salt and sugar. Some dishes that have lowered fat contents have higher levels of sugar, which is used as a filler to replace the fat. Many of these dishes also have high levels of salt, so check the label.

In addition, many microwave meals contain few vegetables and the processing destroys many of the nutrients in those that are present. You could always add a mixed side salad to your meal and finish with some fresh fruit. Most importantly though, go for variety and try to have something different for lunch each day.