5 Best Vegan Ready Meals UK 2022

Kate Roberts is a registered dietician who also specialises in vegan paediatrics via her Instagram page. Working with mybest UK, Kate has commented on a variety of vegan articles to help you better understand what is best to look out for when shopping vegan!

New to the world of vegan ready meals or just looking for something exciting to stock your freezer with this week? We're here to guide you through the crucial aspects of finding the best dish to chow down on - let's get started!

Sometimes we're looking for a satisfying ready meal that emulates a home-cooked dinner or a takeaway, while at other times we just want something simple that can be heated up quickly. There's a lot more scope in the world of vegan ready meals than you might think, so it's worth considering exactly what you want to eat.

Think about which cuisine really tickles your tastebuds - do you prefer zingy Tex-Mex flavours or comforting tomato-based Italian meals? When it comes to curry, Indian dishes like tikka masala tend to be pretty spicy, whereas a Japanese katsu sauce is much milder in terms of heat. Middle Eastern cuisine is a popular choice due to its warm, smoky aromas, while a French dish like quiche is a lighter option.

Whichever cuisine you go for, look for products boasting lots of vegetables, spices, protein-packed pulses and fibre-rich grains. These will provide the complex flavours you'd find in a homemade meal and will keep you feeling fuller for longer.

There are loads of vegan ready meals out there that can be stored in either the fridge or freezer and then cooked from chilled or frozen. However, this isn't always the case so it's important to check the label to make sure a product will be suitable for your needs.

Those without a microwave needn't worry — almost all ready meals can be cooked in the oven (or on the hob, depending on their contents). If you've already got a full fridge and would prefer to stock your freezer up, opt for products that are suitable for freezing.

While most vegans are used to checking the ingredients list for animal-derived products, you might also be wondering how healthy a meal is or whether it meets your other dietary requirements. In this section, we'll quickly go through some important points to help you find something nutritious that fits in with your lifestyle too.

The salt content in a ready meal is often overlooked, but it's a key factor to monitor as some products can contain large amounts that we might not notice. Many of us eat too much salt daily which can cause complications such as raised blood pressure, so it's a good idea to get used to checking the salt content in the food that you consume.

It's advised that adults eat no more than 6g of salt a day, which is around 1 teaspoon. To help you out, we've listed how much salt per serving is in our ranked products. Many products also display this information using the colour coding system on the packaging, with red meaning a high salt content.

Whether you're counting calories, following a low-fat diet, or just want to chow down on something healthy, it's always a good idea to check the saturated fat content. We'll provide this information for each product, to help you avoid consuming too much at dinnertime.

The recommended daily intake for adults is less than 70g per day of total fats and less than 20g per day of saturated fats. Foods are considered high in saturates if they contain more than 5g of saturates per 100g, so look for foods with 1.5g of saturates or less per 100g. 

For vegans who have allergies or other dietary requirements, buying a ready meal may have felt very restrictive in the past. Luckily there are plenty of options out there nowadays that are also free from gluten, soy and nuts. Meals containing rice, lentils or other grain alternatives are great options for coeliacs or those on a gluten-free diet — and they're terrifically tasty too!

It's essential to check the ingredients list as certain dietary requirements are not shown on the front of package — many vegan ready meals contain soy as a meat or cheese substitute. Opt for a ready meal using oat or coconut milk instead if you fancy some soy-free creaminess in your pasta dish or curry. 

Whether you fancy a classic dinner like chilli con carne, a comforting quiche, or something totally new, our top 10 list has you covered with appetising vegan offerings from Waitrose & Partners, Higgidy, and Wicked Kitchen.

Author: Melanie McPhail