12 Nourishing Convenience Foods
December 2020

While I am an enthusiastic advocate of simple, home-cooked meals, there are certainly times when turning to healthy convenience foods is a real blessing. Having a few of these ready-prepared ingredients or meals stashed away can make all the difference to eating well on those busiest of days.
For years, I worked with clients who were incredibly busy so they really couldn’t shop and cook for themselves – there simply weren’t enough hours in the day. So we would work out together what they could buy near their home or office that would still be nutritionally complete (and of course, tasty). It usually does work out a bit more expensive, but if time is your main priority, then don’t feel guilty about leaning on a few short cuts (if you are able).
Here are just a few of my personal favourites to give you an idea. Most big supermarkets or local health food shops will stock a range of similar products so see what’s available where you normally shop.
1. Ready-cooked lentil pouches
I am rarely without a good few packets of these in my cupboards, especially cooked Puy lentils. As a source of protein that goes well with so many other dishes and flavours, cooked lentils are a really handy ingredient to add to cooked vegetables, salad leaves, make a quick vegetarian bolognaise or to boost a smaller portion of leftovers. I also use them to make a simple vegetarian pate (there’s a good recipe in Nourish & Glow: The 10-day plan for this), and add them to mince dishes to stretch the meat out further, or pulse them into quick lentil burgers.
2. Hummus
If I have time, I like to make my own hummus mostly because a tin of chickpeas makes a really good amount and we get through so much at home! However, buying ready-made hummus is definitely a time and washing up saver and it can still be a nutritious item to buy. I tend to opt for organic ones and once finished, I give the containers a really good wash, then re-use them to freeze portions of my own hummus when I make a bigger batch.
3. Vegetable soups
Although it’s pretty simple to make soup, it does require you to have the ingredients to hand and a little bit of time and energy to make it. Thankfully, there are some delicious vegetable soups available to buy ready-made that tend to offer an economic ready meal that is packed with nutrition. Just add a source of extra protein (such as some seeds, crumbled feta, torn cooked chicken, roasted chickpeas etc.) and you’ve got a balanced meal ready in minutes. I keep the containers for these too and re-use them multiple times to freeze foods when batch cooking.
4. Good chicken stock
Making your own chicken stock is a really good way of eking out every last morsel of nutrition from a chicken or leftover vegetable peelings. But it does require a long time cooking and inevitable washing up. So, buying a packet of ready-made chicken stock (or simply a good organic stock cube or bouillon powder) certainly makes many dishes quicker and easier, lending a depth of flavour that is hard to beat.
5. Cooked chicken
Roasting a chicken is not a particularly labour intensive process, but it does require time (usually one and a half hours at least), which is often hard to find at the end of a long day. So picking up a ready-cooked chicken on the way home is a really good little trick. Add a big handful of washed salad leaves, chopped tomatoes and diced avocado and you’ve got supper on the table in just a couple of minutes. P.s. it’s a GREAT picnic dish too. Just remember to pack napkins.

6. Protein pots
In lots of lunch places and convenience stores, you can now find ‘protein pots’ to buy. They might contain beans, nuts, boiled eggs, chicken or prawns, often in tasty little combinations, and offer a great nutritional boost to otherwise relatively low-protein lunches. They are also a great snack option if you’re out-and-about and feeling hungry.
(Image from www.delivery.pret.co.uk)
7. Washed salads & prepared vegetables
Healthy cooking is so much about vegetable prep. I reckon it takes about 80% of the prep time required to make nutritious meals. So one of the best ways to speed things up is to buy vegetables ready-prepared. It is definitely more expensive to do this, but it undoubtedly saves time. Don’t forget to look in the freezer section too. There are often many more veggie choices than just peas available ready-to-cook from frozen. I’ll add a cube or two of frozen spinach to most stews and curries to add in extra greens and often add frozen baby broad beans to dishes for a protein boost.
8. Smoked mackerel
My fridge is rarely without a packet of smoked mackerel. It’s such a convenient ingredient and a source of protein and healthy omega-3 fatty acids to add to quick salads for lunch or supper. I often whizz it up into a speedy mackerel pate and dollop it onto toast or lettuce cups.
9. Tinned sardines
Nutritional guidelines recommend that we aim to have one portion of oily fish per week. Tinned sardines are a very economical and easy way to achieve that target and are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. You can now buy boneless sardines although the edible bones of these little fish do provide a good source of calcium (which is helpful if you don’t consume dairy products, for example).
10. Nut butters
I always have at least one or two jars of nut butters on the go at any one time. A tablespoon dolloped onto porridge, swiped over toast, blended in a smoothie or spooned into some yoghurt can nutritionally elevate a meal in seconds, offering some important healthy fats, a little protein and a variety of vitamins and minerals. I look out for unsweetened, unsalted nut butters that don’t have any added palm oil.
11. Ready-made falafels
SO handy when you’re in a hurry and want a filling meal that doesn’t require much mess or preparation. Willow loves falafels and these ready-made ones are always a winner. They also make a really simple appetiser, with a quick tahini dressing for dipping.
12. Organic baked beans
Who doesn’t love beans on toast? It might just be one of the most comforting dishes I know. These organic ones from Biona come in a recyclable glass jar and are utterly delicious.
Please note, this website uses some carefully selected affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no additional cost to you. This helps to keep all of our online content free for everyone to access. Thank you.
further articles
Spring Health
New season produce, longer daylight hours and hopefully a few gaps in the weather allow me to get outdoors and move a bit.…
New In Nutrition | Feb 2021
New in Nutrition is a place to showcase the new products, books, podcasts, people, places or initiatives that my team and I…
Small changes still count
However persuasively sold to us, it simply isn’t true that we need to radically change everything about our lifestyle and…
How to spend less on food and still eat deliciously well
Food is often one of the biggest expenditures in many household budgets, after rent or mortgage payments. It is also…
100 healthy, plant-based recipes
A great many of us are choosing to enjoy more plant-based meals, for taste, health, environmental and/or ethical reasons.
3 Christmas Tables
If you’re anything like me, half the fun of the Christmas meal is laying the table. It’s the one moment of the year where I…
New In Nutrition | Nov 2020
New in Nutrition is a place to showcase the new products, books, podcasts, people, places or initiatives that my team and I…
The Power of Positive Nutrition
Everyday food choices have become quite fraught for many people, which I think is a real shame. Food is one of life’s…
How I have changed my shopping habits recently
Perhaps one of the main benefits to come out of this year's experience was that it radically changed how I shop. Initially…
Thinking about: Caffeine
Wrapping my hands around a steaming mug of coffee on a cold morning, or sharing a cup of tea with a friend are a couple of…
New In Nutrition | Sept 2020
I’m so excited to share a brand-new feature with you, New in Nutrition.
80+ Healthy Breakfast Ideas
A nutritious breakfast can be a very positive way to start the day. Ensuring our bodies and brains are well nourished helps…
Why ‘eating the rainbow’ is not just a clichéd phrase
While eating a colourful diet alone is not sufficient – we also need to pay attention to the spread of our nutritional…
9 tips for a great night’s sleep
Many of us know the joy that comes from waking up after a wholly uninterrupted and blissfully restorative night, but also…
Is Joy a missing piece of the healthy puzzle?
Practicing good nutrition, healthy living, regular exercise or frankly, any aspect of wellness can, at least to some people,…
Vitamin D
It is tricky to get enough vitamin D from food sources alone and although sunlight is our key alternative source, there may…
Summer Health
Summer is peak growing season, with fields, growing spaces, polytunnels, allotments and perhaps even our own gardens or…
6 tips for cooking during coronavirus
It’s a strange world we all exist in at the moment and although it might not feel quite so new anymore, it certainly is a…
My 8 most-used pieces of kitchen kit
With so many of us now cooking all our meals at home and perhaps taking lockdown as an opportunity to finally clear out the…
How to enjoy cooking for one
First, I want to extend a validating hug to anyone struggling with the potential loneliness of cooking and eating alone,…
Self-care practices for our changing world
I feel passionately that NOW is the time when self care matters most. Access to support systems and professional resources…
Food & Mood
Good food is, for me, a huge source of comfort. That includes the process of cooking as well as sharing the resulting meal.…
Plant-based Diet: 9 Key Nutrients
This article gives a broad overview of 9 important nutrients to be aware of if you choose to consume a plant-based diet.…
Thinking About: Eating a plant-based diet
I believe it is important to be nutritionally informed when choosing to adopt a completely plant-based diet for the…
A Kinder Approach to Healthy Living
Mindful self-compassion is a beautiful concept and a radical shift for those of us used to having a particularly active and…
Winter Health
As autumn gently slides into winter and the riotous colours of Mother Nature subside into gentle, greyscale hues, the call…
14 Meal-planning Tips
14 Meal-planning tips for a cheaper, simpler and more nutritious diet, plus a printable sheet to help you get started.
How to ‘Build’ a Healthy Plate
If you, like many of us (myself included!), get stuck for inspiration on how to plan or put together a healthy meal from…
The Benefits of Keeping a Food & Symptom Diary
A food and symptom diary, can be a helpful way to take stock of our everyday eating and drinking habits and start to tune…
My Guide To Non-Food Treats
This is a concept that I have shared many times, but I realised I had never really compiled a list of ideas and suggestions…
Understanding Food Categories
I know it all might seem rather simple, but it is a good idea to build sensible, balanced knowledge of nutrition up from…
Eat More Fibre
Fibre is a key component of a healthy diet. Here in the UK, we are encouraged to consume 30g fibre per day – but the average…
What is Positive Nutrition?
In recent years, I have wholeheartedly embraced the idea of Positive Nutrition. For those who read Nourish & Glow: The…
Alcohol: How much is too much?
With Christmas soon upon us and the swing of festive parties and celebrations underway, champagne corks will be a-popping…
Spotlight on Exercise, Part 3: Creating An Exercise Habit
Moving our body throughout the day, regularly getting out of breath and incorporating some strength and resistance training…
Spotlight on Exercise, Part 2: The potential risks of over-exercising
Whilst no single definition of ‘over-exercising’ exists, I tend to think of it as the point at which your body is starting…