ready meal
Heat and eat
A ready meal is a prepackaged food item sold complete and requiring only heating before eating.
Common in supermarkets and convenience stores, ready meals range from frozen dinners to refrigerated portions designed for microwave or oven preparation.
I grabbed a ready meal on my way home because I was too tired to cook.
The term is more common in British English; Americans tend to say frozen dinner or TV dinner.
Packaged frozen meal
- defrostRemove ice accumulation
- microwaveRadiation-based kitchen heater
- ice crystalsSolid water formations
- freezer burnDehydration from cold storage
Lean Cuisine · frozen lasagna · frozen pizza · freeze-dried · cold chain · thaw · pot pie
Moving with speed
- easyRequiring minimal effort
- time-savingReducing required duration
- grab-and-goReady for quick departure
- effortlessRequiring no strain
premade · instant · single-serving · practical · handy · efficient · weeknight dinner · portion-controlled
Storable without refrigeration
- vacuum-packedSealed without air
- cannedSealed for preservation
- jarredShaken or disturbed
- ambientOf the surroundings
ration pack · MRE · self-heating · pouched · long-life · bento box · compartmentalized · plastic tray
Store section for prepared foods
- rotisserie chickenBird cooked rotating over heat
- hot barHeated self-service food display
- steam tableHeated serving station
- takeawayCore message retained
sandwich · store-bought · grab-and-go · food hall · precooked
Aromatic South Asian dish
- lasagnaBaked layered pasta dish
- shepherd's pieMeat baked under potatoes
- pad thaiSoutheast Asian stir-fried noodles
- butter chickenCreamy tomato-based Indian curry
biryani · mac and cheese · burrito bowl · tikka masala · stir-fry · pasta bake · chili · enchilada
TV dinner
Packaged frozen meal
- defrostRemove ice accumulation
- microwaveRadiation-based kitchen heater
- ice crystalsSolid water formations
freezer burn · Lean Cuisine · frozen lasagna · frozen pizza · freeze-dried · cold chain · thaw · pot pie
quick
Moving with speed
- easyRequiring minimal effort
- time-savingReducing required duration
- grab-and-goReady for quick departure
effortless · premade · instant · single-serving · practical · handy · efficient · weeknight dinner · portion-controlled · heat-and-eat
shelf-stable
Storable without refrigeration
- vacuum-packedSealed without air
- cannedSealed for preservation
- jarredShaken or disturbed
ambient · ration pack · MRE · self-heating · pouched · long-life · bento box · compartmentalized · plastic tray · sleeve
deli counter
Store section for prepared foods
- rotisserie chickenBird cooked rotating over heat
- hot barHeated self-service food display
- steam tableHeated serving station
takeaway · sandwich · store-bought · grab-and-go · food hall · precooked
curry
Aromatic South Asian dish
- lasagnaBaked layered pasta dish
- shepherd's pieMeat baked under potatoes
- pad thaiSoutheast Asian stir-fried noodles
butter chicken · biryani · mac and cheese · burrito bowl · tikka masala · stir-fry · pasta bake · chili · enchilada · korma
- convenience foodfrozen dinner, TV dinner, microwave dinner, hot pocket, frozen burrito
- microwavablespopcorn, frozen dinner, TV dinner, leftovers, instant noodles
- boxed mealsbento box, bento, sandwich box, snack box
ready mealmade from scratch
home cooking · Sunday roast · Thanksgiving dinner · homemade
ready mealfresh food
Unpreserved edibles
whole foods · farm-to-table · fresh produce · natural food · slow food
ready mealgourmet meal
Expertly crafted fine food
fine dining · haute cuisine · slow food · tasting menu · banquet
ready, meal, meals, melted, melting, readiness, readily, mealtime, malt