As anybody who works away from home will know, it can be tricky trying to find a lunch that is filling and nutritious, as well as not costing a small fortune.
In an ideal world, I would spend my Sundays meal-prepping, but as a working mum all my efforts to do this have failed so far. Plus, I don't like the idea of having the same thing for lunch five days a week, I want some variety.
Like many people across the nation, I have fallen into the meal deal habit, with Tesco my store of choice. You can't really fault the meal deal, with a number of combinations and its convenience - but they do have their pitfalls
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Firstly, apart from a small few choices, you can't have a hot meal. Secondly, you often have to get in quick if you want a specific item, as they can sell out quickly leaving you having to grab what you can from what is left.
They also cost £3.40 each, with a Tesco Clubcard, a total of £17 for five days' lunches. So I wondered if there was a way of getting five hot, varied, meals for the same price or less.
And it turns out there is. Many people will now be aware of Muscle Food, an online retailer that sells high-protein products, including meat hampers and sports supplements.
The brand has recently launched Prepped Pots, which it says are "quick and tasty meals delivered straight to your door, seven days a week". The meals are said to be "nutritionally balanced" and "full of flavour", and there are dozens of different lunches to choose from.
You can get 14 meals for £35.86, which comes in at £2.57 a meal - 83p less than a Tesco Meal Deal. This includes free delivery, which is usually priced at £5.99.
I opted for a selection of meals including Special "Not Fried" Rice, Beef Ragu and Cherry Tomato Tagliatelle, and Smoky Chipotle Chicken.
They are microwaveable, so I headed to the office armed with my first lunch and was pleasantly surprised. While it did just look like any other microwave meal, and not quite like the photos on the website, it was incredibly tasty.
Another way in which it surpassed your average microwave meal is these can often be stingy when it comes to the meat, but there was plenty of chipotle chicken in there and it kept me full until my tea.
I was impressed with the selection, as I could choose whichever dish I fancied on the day to take to work with me, and with very minimal effort.
After 14 days, almost three weeks when you work full time, I saved £11.62, although in fairness it does not come with a drink like its Tesco counterpart.
Either way I would definitely recommend the Prepped Pots if you're after an easy way of eating a delicious and varied hot lunch while at work, and don't want the hassle of preparing meals.
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