Are we actually so busy and time starved as we say we are?

Every developing economy is working less hours than in the 1960’s and the 1980’s. Between 1965 and 2011 the time spent on household chores has declined by 35% due to development of machines; washing machines, dishwashers etc. According to the ONS (Office of National Statistics) 2015, the majority of leisure time was spent consuming mass media (TV, music, social media) and according to the UK Time Use Survey 2014-15, the equivalent of one day a week was spent online.

Which brings me to my point, according to Mintel, 9 out of 10 of us eat ready meals or ready to cook products. Has the use of words such a ‘fast food’ and ‘ready meal’ instilled in us a belief that we don’t have the time to prep a meal ourselves? The UK Ready Meal market is worth nearly £5 billion pounds, what does that tell you?

So, what are the disadvantages of ready meals? Added Sodium (salt), sugars, trans fats (worst kind of fat) and additives (to make the food look and taste more appealing) the portion sizes are small, they are full of added calories, and they are mass produced. It is cheaper and more nutritious and believe it or not, relatively quick to rustle up a balanced meal from scratch and the results will be more satisfying than anything you will buy in a plastic container and bung in the microwave.

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