Affordable Vegan Ready Meals (the best brands)

Sometimes you may just want a quick ready meal. But most are made with expensive and not very ethical ingredients, and often sold in packaging that’s not easy to recycle.  If you want to keep a stash of ready-meals to hand, here are better brands.

Before cooking, read up on food safety for people & pets (many foods are unsafe near animal friends). Recycle packaging at kerbside or supermarket bag bins. 

Before choosing a vegan ready meal, do a quick scan of the label to ensure it has ingredients you recognise (beans, lentils, rice, vegetables, herbs, and spices). Ensure it has plenty of fibre and not too much salt, and a good protein source (pulses, tofu, tempeh, seitan or sustainable soya).

Avoid sneaky ingredients (often labelled vegan) like honey. And beware of fish sauce, anchovies or shellfish in Asian meals. Some meals are made in factories where there are milks or eggs, so avoid for severe allergies. And remember that some brands may be ‘accidentally vegan’ (say a vegetable chilli) without a label.

Lazy (fast-frozen vegan ready meals)

Lazy is a brand of fast-frozen ready meals, which are easy to cook up, for a nutritious plant-based dinner. They are a bit more expensive, but you can use half the pack and fill up with spuds and veggies, then chill the rest to heat and eat the next day. All are packed with fresh veggies and protein.

The range includes:

• Gnocchi alla pesto (spinach gnocchi with grilled veggies, olives, red pesto and plant-based Parmesan).
• Korean Noodles (kale, romanesco, shiitake and edamame in a delicious Asian sauce)
• Risotto Funghi (Arborio rise with frozen asparagus, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes in a vegan cream sauce, with garlic, spring onion and black pepper).
• Tikka Masala (cauliflower, spinach, red bell pepper and carrots, in a rice curry with chilli, garlic, coriander and chicken-style pieces).
• Thai Green Curry (sugar snap peas, baby corn, green bell peppers, carrots and rice, with chicken-style pieces in a ginger/garlic/coriander sauce).
• Pasta with Pesto (courgettes, roasted peppers and cherry tomatoes, with fusilli in creamy pesto, topped with garlic, basil and vegan cheese).
• Mexican Fiesta (green beans, kidney beans, red bell pepper, sweetcorn and potatoes, with a chilli Mexican sauce).
• Chili Sin Carne (beans, vegan mince and tomato sauce with a hint of lime). Not too spicy!)
• Mexican Falafel Bowl (brown rice, quinoa, mini falafel, sweet potato, bell pepper, broccoli, corn and kidney beans, in a coriander-lime dressing).
• Lebanese Bulgur Falafel Bowl (fresh veggies, chickpeas, lentils, bulgur and mini-falafel, in a lemon-herb dressing).

BOL One Pot Vegan Ready Meals

BOL offers one-pot ready meals in easy-to-recycle pots. These ‘power pots’ are packed with nutrition, and easy to eat on the go. Each one has an impressive 20+ grams of protein and fibre, plus two of your five-a-day, the perfect way to squeeze some goodness into your day.

Choose from:

• Chickpea jalfrezi
• Teriyaki style rice
• Thai green curry
• Italian lentil bolognese
• Chickpea tikka masala
• Spanish butter bean stew
• Coconut lentil turmeric dal

These meals don’t freeze well but the Power Soups do:

• Tomato red pepper and lentil
• Butternut squash and chilli
• Garden pea and spinach
• Thai green noodle

Strong Roots (vegan ready meals from Ireland)

Strong Roots is known more for its healthier frozen chips, but also makes a small line of ready meals. Find them in the frozen section of your local supermarket. Choose from:

• Thai green veg curry
• Vegan mac and cheese
• Veggie masala

Plenny Pot (instant hot meals from The Netherlands)

Plenny Pot has sold millions of its popular ready-meals worldwide. You order a shaker pot with a scoop and your first trial pack. Then you just add hot water and leave the meal to infuse for five minutes, then enjoy a nutritionally complete meal in 5 minutes.

These meals are highly nutritious, but based on average servings for an adult, they say to therefore avoid for children and consult your GP if pregnant or nursing, due to different nutritional needs.

These meals are great if you don’t have a fridge or are going camping etc, as the meal packs can be resealed and stored in a cupboard or bag.

Choose from:

• Creamy Cajun pasta
• Mac n Cheeze
• Vegetable korma rice
• Mushroom & buckwheat risotto
• Satay noodles
• Tikka masala lentils