I've always thought of pre-prepared meals as over-processed and packed with sodium, so I was as susrpeised as the next person when I saw how healthy the pre-prepared meals Australians eat each year may actually be.

Independent research into the nutritional quality of over 200 meals from Australia’s biggest pre-prepared meal manufacturers found their reputation of being “poor quality” and “unhealthy” may not be warranted.

The research reviewed a range of pre-prepared meals, including those that claim to be a healthier option along with vegan and fitness meals - with some surprising results, including:

• 72 per cent of pre-prepared meals contained 500 calories or less
• 71 per cent of pre-prepared meals contained more than a quarter of the daily recommended salt intake for adults in just one meal
• 63 per cent of meals contained less than 6g of saturated fat, which is the target for the average main meal
• 29 per cent of meals contained over 7g of fibre, with several brands failing to list the fibre content of their meals at all
• 44 per cent of meals were low carb or very low carb, with the remainder still within healthy daily limits for carb intakes
• 77 per cent of meals contained a healthy amount of daily protein.

“Typically pre-prepared meals have a poor reputation when it comes to being healthy," said nutrition expert, Clare Keating.

"While healthy nutrition looks different for everyone, the perception that prepared meals are high in calories and bad for you isn’t necessarily right.

"Most meals we reviewed didn’t provide enough energy or calories compared to the amount an average Australian adult requires. This might leave us reaching for unhealthy snacks to fill that void, but can be positive for portion control and controlling calories for weight loss.

"Based on this research, I recommend giving pre-prepared meals a try. They’re great for busy people and handy as a backup meal in the freezer - they should be eaten with some extra vegetables or salad for fibre, and the rest of the day’s meals and snacks should be low in sodium and salt.”

Have you tried pre-prepared meals? What's your prognosis? Would you ever try them based on these findings?