Health by Stealth: reformulation as a targeted approach to improve the nutritional quality and sustainability of ready meals within the UK.

Convenience meals, including ready meals, are consumed by 88% of UK adults, with a reported market value of £3.9 billion (Eating Better, 2020). Despite a decline during the pandemic, the purchase of convenience meals is now in an upward trend (Randall, 2022). Reportedly 63% of UK adults view ready meals as a takeaway alternative, and food inflation could push further growth (Mintel, 2022). Yet this is an underexplored area of research in terms of the nutritional and environmental impact.