The UK’s unhealthiest Prepared meals have been exposed, with some options having more salt content than two plain pizza pies.
Campaign group Action on Salt examined 1,511 frozen dinners sold at 11 prominent stores, including Tesco , Aldi , Lidl and M&S.
Iceland turned out to be the least satisfactory supermarket, as 84% of its ready meals were found to have high levels of salt. This includes their Taste of Italy vegetable lasagna, containing 3.9 grams of salt for every 400 grams.
That’s 5.4 times more salt than the current amount. Weight Watchers However, the study suggests butternut squash and spinach lasagne as a better option, containing only 0.72g.
Nevertheless, the Cottage Pie from the ready-meal brand Royal emerged as the saltiest overall in the test, containing 6.12 grams of salt per 400-gram portion. This amount surpasses the total sodium content found in two Margherita pizzas and goes beyond the advised maximum daily intake of 6 grams of salt for adults.
The research revealed that over half (55%) of the UK’s ready meals have 'excessive' levels of sodium or unhealthy components. salt content and one in five microwave meals are high in salt, fat and saturated fat – which necessitates three red warning labels on the packaging.
Aldi, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, and Sainsbury’s joined Iceland in having a significant portion of their ready meals rank highly for salt content, with percentages standing at 70%, 64%, and 54% respectively. In contrast, Morrison showed somewhat better performance with only 40% of their ready meals scoring high in sodium levels.
Nevertheless, it should be acknowledged that certain supermarkets have challenged these conclusions.
A representative from Iceland stated 'This report is incorrect, biased, and lacks support from an impartial review of the foundational data. The hasty examination relies on only 69 Icelandic items, which is considerably fewer compared to the 190 to 194 products examined for other significant retail chains.'
'Coming to major conclusions based on a significantly smaller sample size weakens the credibility of any rankings or comparisons,' they noted.
'Iceland outperforms or matches other leading supermarkets and brands when it comes to calorie levels. Actually, 90% of the items sold by Iceland fall into the "healthy" category according to the government’s nutrition rating system.'
The Marks & Spencer’s chicken and bacon pasta bake isn’t looking good either, with each 400g serving containing 3.52g of salt. The lamb hotpot follows closely behind at 3.38g of salt per 450g, and their acclaimed 'best ever' mac and cheese comes in third place with 3.30g of salt per 375g.
Consider opting for a curry but reconsider your choice because the Royal chicken tikka masala paired with saffron rice contains 4.68 grams of salt per 400 grams. In contrast, Lidl’s high-protein version of chicken tikka masala with rice and veggies offers significantly lower sodium content, being 6.5 times less salty at only 0.72 gram of salt.
The impact of consuming highly processed foods on your body within just a few days.
Lily Keeling, who is a certified nutritionist, works with Green Chef , previously told 'Foods that undergo extensive processing tend to be high in calories yet low in essential nutrients. Generally, they offer convenience, boast an extended storage duration, and are enhanced with flavours to make them palatable, which contributes significantly to their prevalence in modern eating habits.'
'Once you've been consuming them for several days, they may result in higher fluctuations in your blood glucose levels, causing you to feel hungry again sooner than expected. This leaves you feeling lethargic and unsatisfied. Consequently, this pattern might lead to overindulgence because you're eating faster than what your brain needs to register feelings of satiety.'
Kerry Beeson, who works as a nutritional therapist at Prep Kitchen Additionally, it cautions that when you begin consuming ultra-processed foods (UPFs), you may initially experience a 'boost' from their high levels of sugar, salt, or caffeine, which can mislead you into believing these foods are beneficial when they actually aren’t.
She stated: "Caffeine acts as a stimulant, providing us with an immediate burst of energy, whereas sugary items cause a rapid increase in blood glucose levels, leading to a comparable sensation known as a 'sugar rush.' Additionally, the components found in such food products can influence the brain’s 'reward' mechanism, prompting the production of chemicals like dopamine that enhance our sense of well-being. However, these impacts are fleeting, after which we tend to experience fatigue and lethargy."
Significantly, Charlie Bigham's chilli con carne received a red label due to its salt content of 2.52 grams per 400 grams. In contrast, Morrison's own-brand chilli contains only 0.89 gram of salt per 350 grams, which is 1.63 grams less.
"At Charlie Bigham’s, we prioritize flavor above all else. Our mission is to create delicious meals by closely following consumer input on dish tastes to ensure they align with people's preferences," stated Patrick Cairns, CEO of Charlie Bigham’s.
'We have gradually decreased the quantity of salt added to our meals and plan to keep doing this.'
In observance of Salt Awareness Week (from May 12-18), Action on Salt is calling for the UK government to 'take a firm stance' against the food industry and stop 'voluntary indifference.'
'Over fifty percent of frozen dinners have been identified as having dangerously high levels of sodium, which poses significant health risks to consumers who might not even realize it. Eating healthy shouldn’t be so complicated,' stated Sonia Pombo, the leader of impact and research at the organization.
'We urgently require the government to cease catering to industrial interests and implement compulsory salt reduction goals with genuine repercussions for failing to comply. We've reached our limit.'
For Dr Pauline Swift, who chairs Blood Pressure UK, the survey serves as a 'sobering wakeup,' given that excessive salt intake is 'inextricably connected' to increased blood pressure — which heightens the risks of strokes, heart disease, and kidney issues.
“Considering approximately 4.2 million adults in England have un-diagnosed high blood pressure, the government needs to take immediate action to implement stricter salt reduction goals and safeguard public health before further unnecessary deaths occur,” she stated.
Instances of widely favoured frozen meal types that contain the greatest amount of sodium per serving
- Classic cottage pie – 6.12g / 400g
- King-sized chicken tikka masala paired with saffron-infused rice – 4.68g / 400g
- Sainsbury's gluten-free spaghetti Bolognese – 4.35g / 300g
- Iceland (Taste of Italy) Vegetable Lasagna – 3.9g / 400g
- M&S Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake – 3.52g / 400g
- M&S lamb hot pot – 3.38g / 450g
- M&S The Ultimate Mac and Cheese – 3.30g / 375g
- Kershaw’s homemade beef dinner – 3.10g per 400g
- Bistro by Asda fish pie contains 2.9g per 400g portion.
- Charlie Bigham’s chili con carne – 2.52g / 400g.
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