The men in my house are not doing well this week. I arrived home last night to find my husband eating spaghetti hoops and Jasper the dog half way through a pair of Chloe's socks. This just goes to show what happens when I leave them to their own devices.

Now my husband is actually a seriously good cook, but he must have been so delighted that I wasn't there to make him eat broccoli, that he went and bought something we would never normally have.

However, by the time I'd showed him the saturated fat content and read him the ingredient list, those hoops were suddenly not so tasty. Mean of me I know.

In his defence, he was also looking for something quick. The problem is though, that very few instant or ready-meals are healthy, in fact even those that are branded as healthy options make me want to shudder!

However, if we are dealing with reality here, then I guess I have to recognise that at some point, most of us will resort to a frozen meal.

So this week, "try this, not that" isn't so much of a recommendation, rather it's an exercise in damage limitation.

After spending a chilly half-hour in the freezers at the grocery store, I was pretty horrified.

It's amazing how many chemical, artificial ingredients make their way into what most of us consider to be food.

Sure, it's not exactly poisonous and most of the meals do tick the boxes of the basic food groups, but food is supposed to feed and nurture the body, not be detrimental.

If you can manage to shop well once a week, and stock up on healthy soups, deli meats and salads, then you really can pull together a meal in minutes at home.

It's arguably quicker to heat up some Covent Garden soup and get out a wholegrain roll, than it is to wait for the microwave to ping.

However, if you are going to buy a frozen meal, then let's take a look at the chart on this page. I have deliberately gone for mainstream items here, but you may be able to find better options in the freezers at Down to Earth.

Please also note that although Amy's can be a good brand, the salt can be so very high and the portion sizes are so small, that I'm not sure they are always a better option.

While the Lean Cuisine featured here does have an ingredient list that is alarmingly long, it has a few saving graces – wholegrain pasta, rich in fibre and low in saturated fat and sugar.

The sodium is pretty high but as this is an average amount for an instant meal, we'll put that to one side temporarily.

The Healthy Choice meal is also not too bad; it is higher in fat but lower sugar, so if you absolutely have to have a frozen meal – pick either of these.

However, if you get tempted by the Marie Callender's meals, please think again.

One meal has over 7g of saturated fat and 1,110mg of sodium!

That's approximately half a teaspoon of salt in just one meal. It does have a great fibre content but the rest is so bad it could contain the elixir of life and I still wouldn't recommend it. The alarming thing is that the majority of other brands were just as bad as this. So, I can't emphasise enough the importance of consistently eating fresh, whole food.

Remember it's easy to eat well if you plan ahead.

Sure, the occasional ready-meal is not going to kill you, but a lifetime of these might.

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist. She can be contacted at clinicalnutrition@gmail.com