We often hear about the latest "superfoods" we're supposed to add to our diets. From oily fish and leafy green vegetables to beans and wholegrains, there's certainly no shortage of advice about what we should be eating.
But eating well shouldn't mean spending hours shopping, chopping and cooking.
If you prefer the convenience of having your meals prepared for you, there are still plenty of ways to include nutritious ingredients in your diet. Many familiar foods provide protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals - and you'll find plenty of them in the Oakhouse Foods range.
So, forget complicated recipes and hard-to-find ingredients. Let's look at some everyday "superfoods", why they're worth knowing about and how you can enjoy them as part of convenient meals at home.
What Exactly Is a Superfood?
Despite the name, there's actually no official nutritional definition of a "superfood". It's a popular term used to describe foods that are particularly rich in certain nutrients.
And there's no single food that can provide everything your body needs.
A better approach is to enjoy a varied, balanced diet containing different sources of protein, fruit and vegetables, carbohydrates, fibre and other essential nutrients.
The good news is that many of these nutritious ingredients aren't unusual at all. Fish, vegetables, beans, peas and other everyday favourites can all make a valuable contribution to your diet.
1. Oily Fish: An Everyday Superfood
Salmon, mackerel and other oily fish are probably among the best-known foods to earn the "superfood" label.
Oily fish provides protein as well as long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. The NHS recommends eating at least two portions of fish each week, including one portion of oily fish, although there are additional recommendations and limits for some people.
And enjoying fish doesn't have to mean buying fresh fillets and preparing them yourself.
Look through the Oakhouse Foods fish range and you'll find fish incorporated into complete meals alongside familiar accompaniments such as potatoes and vegetables. It's an easy way to introduce more variety into your weekly menu without having to prepare the individual ingredients yourself.
2. Green Vegetables
We're all familiar with the advice to eat our greens - and there's a good reason for it.
Vegetables provide a range of vitamins and minerals as well as fibre, and eating different varieties helps contribute towards a varied, balanced diet.
Broccoli, spinach, green beans, peas and other vegetables can be found alongside many familiar dishes, so you don't necessarily need to prepare a separate pan of vegetables to include them at mealtimes.
When browsing Oakhouse Foods meals, you can filter by 1 of Your 5 a Day. This makes it easier to identify meals containing at least one portion of fruit or vegetables.
3. Beans, Peas and Pulses
Beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils may not sound as exotic as some fashionable superfoods, but they're worth knowing about.
Pulses can provide both fibre and protein and are frequently used in dishes such as casseroles, curries and other hearty meals.
They're particularly useful if you'd like to introduce more variety into your diet or enjoy meat-free meals from time to time.
Rather than buying several ingredients to prepare a three bean chilli with rice from scratch, choosing a prepared meal containing pulses can be a much simpler way to enjoy them.
4. Protein-Rich Foods
Protein might not be a single "superfood", but it's an important part of our diet and is needed for the growth and repair of the body.
Familiar sources of protein include:
- Fish
- Chicken
- Meat
- Eggs
- Beans and pulses
- Dairy products
You don't need to rely on specialist foods. Protein can be found in many of the traditional meals you already know and enjoy.
5. Fibre-Rich Foods
Fibre is another important part of a healthy, balanced diet and helps our digestive system function normally.
It's found naturally in plant foods including:
- Vegetables
- Fruit
- Beans and pulses
- Wholegrains
- Potatoes with their skins on
- Nuts and seeds
UK guidance recommends that adults aim for around 30g of fibre each day.
If you don't or are unable to regularly cook from scratch, look for opportunities to choose meals containing vegetables, beans, pulses and other sources of fibre.
Oakhouse Foods also offers a Source of Fibre filter to help you identify suitable meals when browsing the range.
What Are the Best Foods for Gut Health?
Gut health has received a great deal of attention in recent years, and you may have seen long lists of supposed "superfoods for gut health".
Fortunately, looking after your digestive health doesn't necessarily require buying expensive or unusual ingredients.
Fibre is particularly important for normal digestive health. Foods containing fibre include wholegrains, fruit and vegetables, beans, lentils, chickpeas, nuts and seeds.
Rather than concentrating on one supposed superfood, try to include a variety of fibre-containing foods in your diet.
If you're increasing your fibre intake, it's also important to drink enough fluid.
People with certain digestive or medical conditions may have been advised to follow a different diet, so always follow individual advice you've received from your doctor or dietitian.
Getting Your 5 A Day Without All the Preparation
We're encouraged to eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables each day, but that can sometimes feel easier said than done.
Buying lots of fresh vegetables also isn't always practical, particularly if you're cooking for one. There's little benefit in filling the fridge with good intentions only to find yourself throwing unused vegetables away at the end of the week.
Frozen ready meals and prepared foods can make things easier.
Choosing meals that already contain vegetables means there's no peeling, chopping or preparing required. You simply cook the meal according to its instructions and enjoy it.
Eating Well When You Don't Cook Very Often
There's a common misconception that eating well means preparing everything yourself from fresh ingredients.
It doesn't.
For some people, cooking is an enjoyable hobby. For others, it's something they'd rather not spend their time doing. Shopping for ingredients, carrying groceries home, preparing vegetables, cooking and washing up can also become more difficult or simply less appealing as circumstances change.
Living alone can make cooking from scratch feel particularly impractical. A recipe designed for four people may leave you with far more food than you actually need.
The important thing is finding an approach to mealtimes that works for you.
Keeping prepared meals in the freezer gives you the freedom to choose what you fancy on the day without needing to plan several days of meals around fresh ingredients.
Oakhouse Foods range of frozen meals delivered to your home are designed to be cooked straight from frozen. Most can be prepared in the microwave or oven, making it straightforward to enjoy a hot meal without all the preparation beforehand.
Eating Well With a Smaller Appetite
Not everybody wants a large meal, particularly as appetites can change over time.
If you have a smaller appetite, facing an oversized plate of food can be unappealing. A smaller portion of something you genuinely enjoy may be much more manageable.
That doesn't mean variety has to disappear from your diet.
Oakhouse Foods offers smaller frozen meals alongside its regular-sized dishes, allowing you to choose a portion that better suits your appetite. There are also lighter options including soups and other lunchtime choices.
When choosing smaller meals, look across your weekly menu for variety - perhaps fish on one day, chicken on another and a meat-free dish later in the week.
How to Find Nutritious Choices in the Oakhouse Foods Range
You don't need to become a nutrition expert to make more informed choices about your meals.
When browsing the Oakhouse Foods range, look out for the dietary and nutritional filter options.
Depending on the meal, these can include:
- Source of Fibre
- 1 of Your 5 A Day
- Low Fat
- Low Salt
- Low Sugar
- Vegetarian
These options can help you narrow down the range and find meals that better suit your preferences.
It's also worth remembering that variety matters. Instead of eating the same favourite every day, try alternating between different types of fish, meat, vegetables and meat-free dishes throughout the week.
Simple Ways to Get More "Superfoods" From Your Meals
You don't need to overhaul your diet or start cooking complicated recipes. Try making small changes to the meals you choose instead.
- Choose a fish dish regularly, including oily fish where appropriate.
- Look for meals containing a good variety of vegetables.
- Try a bean, lentil or vegetable-based meal occasionally.
- Look for the High Protein options when choosing your meals.
- Use the Source of Fibre filter to help identify fibre-containing choices.
- Look for the 1 of Your 5 A Day filter when browsing meals.
- Try different dishes throughout the week rather than always choosing the same meal.
- Choose a portion size that suits your appetite.
It's a much more achievable approach than buying a cupboard full of fashionable ingredients you may never use.
Superfoods Don't Have to Be Complicated
The real secret of "superfoods" is that many of them aren't very secret at all.
Fish, vegetables, beans, pulses and other familiar ingredients can all contribute useful nutrients to our diets. You don't need an elaborate recipe - or hours in the kitchen - to enjoy them.
For people who prefer not to cook from scratch, the key is to look at what's already in the meals you choose.
At Oakhouse Foods, you can browse hundreds of frozen meals and desserts and use the nutritional information and dietary filters to find dishes that suit your tastes, appetite and preferences.
Your meals are then delivered directly to your home, ready to keep in the freezer until you fancy them. When it's time to eat, simply follow the cooking instructions and enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a superfood?
There is no official nutritional definition of a "superfood". The term is generally used to describe foods containing beneficial nutrients. Rather than relying on one particular superfood, eating a varied and balanced diet is more important.
What superfoods can I get from ready meals?
Look at the ingredients within the meal rather than searching for something labelled a "superfood". Fish, vegetables, beans and pulses are examples of familiar nutrient-rich foods that can all be found in prepared meals.
What foods are good sources of protein?
Sources of protein include meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, beans, lentils and other pulses. Oakhouse Foods also identifies qualifying meals with a High Protein filter to make them easier to find.
What foods are good for gut health?
Fibre-containing foods are important for normal digestive health. Sources include fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, beans, lentils, chickpeas, nuts and seeds. Eating a variety of fibre-containing foods is preferable to relying on one supposed gut-health superfood.
How can I eat more vegetables if I don't cook?
Choosing prepared meals that already contain vegetables is one simple option. When browsing Oakhouse Foods meals, look for dishes containing different vegetables and the 1 of Your 5 A Day.
Can frozen food be part of a healthy diet?
Yes. Frozen foods can form part of a healthy, balanced diet. What matters is the overall nutritional content and variety of the foods you eat rather than whether an ingredient was fresh or frozen.
How can I eat well if I have a small appetite?
If you don't feel like eating a large meal, smaller portions can be easier to manage. Try to include variety across the meals you choose and select foods containing protein, vegetables and other nutritious ingredients. Oakhouse Foods also offers smaller meal options for people who prefer a lighter portion.
Discover More Choice With Oakhouse Foods
Eating a varied diet shouldn't mean spending your day planning meals, shopping for ingredients and cooking.
Oakhouse Foods offers a wide choice of frozen meals delivered directly to your home, from fish and traditional favourites to vegetable-rich dishes and smaller portions.
Look out for our High Protein, Source of Fibre and 1 of Your 5 A Day symbols when browsing the range to help you discover meals that suit you.
Browse the Oakhouse Foods range and find your next favourite meal.