I am all for cooking from scratch. And the majority of the time, that is what I do. I enjoy cooking and I enjoy food, so it makes sense to spend time making everything myself. But let’s face it, from time to time life gets busy and some days I can feel I am running about there there and everywhere. So having some quicker options, that are still good for you and not just full of junk, is a must for my sanity!

So I thought I would just share some of my favourite preprepared foods that aren’t actually that bad for you. Having a few in the fridge, freezer, or cupboard at home is always helpful. Would love to hear what your favourites are?

Merchant Gourmet Rice & Grains

My family and I love to eat rice, grains, and other things like quinoa. I am literally the worst at cooking them, though. I can never gauge rice right and I just find that it takes me a long time to cook it right. The same with quinoa and other pulses. So I swear by the pouches of pricked rice and grains. Most supermarkets do their own (cheaper) versions, but I have found that Merchant Gourmet is my favourite, as the range is much wider.

I know some people aren’t keen on using a plastic pouch in the microwave to heat the rice or grains through. But you can pour the pouch into a pan and add a little water to help heat it all through.

My Healthy Kitchen Prepared Meals

I recently came across My Healthy Kitchen and their fresh meals that are ready to heat through. myhk have dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan options (though they are not certified gluten or dairy free so just check before hand). I have tried the above flavours, pea and mint risotto, chorizo chicken, and king prawn. They were all so tasty, with the rest of the range sounding pretty delicious too. They are quick and easy, and full of fresh natural goodness. They even suggest that they aren’t best to be frozen, which shows just how fresh they are.

At the moment you can only buy them on Amazon Fresh, but hopefully you’ll see some more places soon. They are just under £4 a meal, so really reasonable.

PACK’D Frozen Smoothie Packs

I love to have smoothies for breakfast, but I am rarely up and ready in time to chop up all of the fruit and veg that I need to use. I discovered PACK’D smoothie packs quite randomly in Sainsburys a while back, and have been using them ever since. You can get frozen smoothie packs in most supermarkets, where you just throw in the frozen fruit and veg and then add liquid of your choice and blend. But these are much healthier versions. They aren’t just fruit, so fructose is kept lower than most smoothies you find. Plus, they have added superfood pouches with things like spirulina, maca, and wheatgrass. So you get more bang for your buck having one of these, so to speak. At £2.50 a pack I think they are great to have in your freezer.

Livia’s Kitchen Raw Millionaire Bites

Some weeks I have a kitchen full of homemade baked or raw goods that I have had a lot of time to cook. Other weeks can be really bad and I barely remember to drink enough water! But to stop myself from reaching for some unhealthier treats or a chocolate bar, I have to have Livia’s Kitchen Raw Millionaire Bites in the house. I used to have to do an order from somewhere like Planet Organic, which was fine, but I would do an order specifically for them. Now they are sold at Ocado, as well as the grab and go versions being at the till in my local Waitrose, I am winning at life. If you see these yo have to try them. They are free from basically everything but are so tasty and good for you!

Do you have any go-to healthy foods that you always have to have in at home?

*contains PR samples – all opinions remain my own.