If you’re trying to eat better but can’t stand the thought of cooking from scratch every night, you’re not alone. In the UK, convenience meals are booming — but not all quick-fix options are created equal.
Let’s break down how meal kits stack up against the typical ready meals you find in supermarkets — and why more health-conscious Brits are making the switch.
What Are Ready Meals?
Ready meals are pre-cooked dishes you buy chilled or frozen and reheat in minutes. They’re convenient, cheap, and available everywhere — but most come with trade-offs:
- High in salt and saturated fat
- Low in fibre and fresh nutrients
- Often ultra-processed with additives and preservatives
- Flavour often boosted by sugar or chemical enhancers
They’re built for shelf life, not performance.
What Are Meal Kits?
Meal kits deliver fresh, pre-portioned ingredients to your door, along with easy recipes. You cook them at home — but they remove the stress of planning or shopping.
- Fresh ingredients, minimal processing
- Balanced recipes tailored to your goals (e.g. low carb, high protein, vegan)
- Better for learning how to cook and building habits
- You know exactly what’s going into your body
Meal kits live in the middle ground between takeaways and scratch cooking.
Nutrition Face-Off: Which Is Healthier?
| Category | Ready Meals | Meal Kits |
|---|---|---|
| Salt & Fat | Often high | Generally moderate & cleaner |
| Processing | Ultra-processed | Minimal — raw ingredients |
| Nutrient Density | Often depleted | Fresh veg, lean proteins, better macros |
| Control | Fixed ingredients | You cook it — tweak as needed |
| Time to Eat | 2–5 mins | 20–30 mins |
Meal kits win on long-term health. Ready meals win on speed.
What About the Price?
Ready meals can cost as little as £2 to £4 per serving — but you’re paying for it in nutritional quality.
Meal kits average around £4.50 to £6 per meal, depending on the provider and plan. The difference? Meal kits use real ingredients — often organic or higher welfare — and help you avoid last-minute takeaways that cost even more.
The Mindset Shift
Switching to meal kits is less about cost, and more about control. You stay out of the supermarket, reduce decision fatigue, and build momentum with your nutrition.
They’re the sweet spot between convenience and health — especially if you’re chasing fitness, fat loss, or better energy.
We Tested Both — Here’s What We Found
To settle the debate, we put five popular ready meals up against five meal kit recipes using similar ingredients and portion sizes. We tracked key markers like:
- Calories
- Macronutrient balance (protein, carbs, fat)
- Ingredients list quality
- Prep time
- Satisfaction after eating
Test Results Summary:
| Feature | Ready Meals (avg) | Meal Kits (avg) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories (per meal) | 420 kcal | 540 kcal |
| Protein | 17g | 35g |
| Carbohydrates | 50g | 45g |
| Fat | 18g (mostly saturated) | 16g (more unsaturated) |
| Fibre | 3g | 7g |
| Ingredients | 25+ (incl. additives) | 10–15 (mostly fresh) |
| Prep Time | 4 mins (microwave) | 22 mins (average cook) |
| Satiety | Hungry again | Still full after 1 hr |
| Overall Score | ★☆☆☆☆ | ★★★★☆ |
Conclusion: Meal kits took longer to prepare, but clearly won on nutrition, satisfaction, and ingredient quality.
UK Meal Kits That Beat Ready Meals Every Time
If you’re ready to upgrade from microwave trays to real food, here are some of the best UK meal kits that consistently outperform supermarket ready meals:
Mindful Chef
Focus: Clean eating, no refined carbs, gluten-free by default
Why it wins: High in protein and fibre, perfect for fat loss or performance goals
Best for: Gym-goers, low-carb diets, gluten-free
👉 View Mindful Chef Plans
Green Chef
Focus: Nutrition-specific meal plans (keto, vegan, low-calorie)
Why it wins: Designed for people tracking macros or managing weight
Best for: Anyone following a structured diet plan
👉 Explore Green Chef Options
HelloFresh
Focus: Family-friendly and fitness-friendly options
Why it wins: Customisable kits with protein-rich recipes
Best for: Busy professionals who want taste and ease
👉 See HelloFresh Recipes
Gousto
Focus: Huge recipe variety with calorie-controlled options
Why it wins: Over 90 recipes weekly including lean & balanced range
Best for: Variety seekers, flexible eaters, fitness families
👉 Browse Gousto Plans
Final Verdict
Ready meals serve a purpose in a pinch, but they’re built for short-term convenience — not long-term health.
If you want better control of your food without the stress of meal planning, meal kits are the upgrade you need.
You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to start making better choices, one meal at a time.