Food is a fight
Safe foods, fewer steps, less washing up. Eating made easier on the days it is not.
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Guides for this shelf
- Divided plates and bento lunch boxes for when food can't touchFor meals at home, divided plates with raised walls are the simplest answer: ARK's Divided Section Plate (about £10.99) has three sections.
- Kitchen tools that cut steps: choppers, rice cookers and multi-cookersThe kitchen tools that cut the most steps replace a job you avoid.
- Recipe boxes compared for low-energy weeks: Gousto, HelloFresh and Mindful ChefOnce new-customer discounts end, Gousto is the cheapest of the recipe boxes we could check: from £3.20 a portion on its biggest plan, plus £3.99 delivery.
- When cooking isn't happening: ready meals, meal drinks and frozen optionsWhen cooking isn't happening, keep three tiers in: a no-prep option such as Huel Ready-to-drink (400kcal a bottle, about £38 for 12), a heat-and-eat option such as COOK's Meal Box for One (14 frozen meals, about £89.95), and one-button machines such as a mini rice cooker or the Ninja Double Stack air fryer for frozen and safe foods.
On the shelf: 21 finds
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Huel Ready-to-drink (12 x 500ml)
By Huel, sold by Huel
A 400kcal meal in a bottle for the days cooking just isn't happening. Open, drink, done.
from £38See it at HuelAffiliate link -
Gousto Recipe Box
By Gousto
Fresh ingredients and a recipe card arrive together, so the planning and the shop are done. Skip or cancel any time.
from £3.20See it at GoustoAffiliate link -
Meal Box for One (14 meals)
By COOK
Fourteen frozen single portions from COOK's own Kent kitchens. Heat one up: no chopping, no deciding what's for tea.
£89.95See it at COOKAffiliate link -
Ninja Double Stack 2-Drawer Air Fryer 7.6L SL300UK
By Ninja, sold by SharkNinja
Two stacked drawers cook the main and the side at the same time, and it takes less worktop than side-by-side ones.
£199.99See it at SharkNinjaAffiliate link -
Good Grips Vegetable Chopper with Easy-Pour Opening
By OXO, sold by Marks & Spencer
Push the lid down and an onion is diced, no knife work. Tip it out through the side opening.
Affiliate link -
ARK's Divided Section Plate
By ARK Therapeutic, sold by Sensory Needs Ltd
Three raised sections so foods never touch. Tough plastic, dishwasher safe, made in the UK.
Affiliate link -
Duo 7-in-1 Electric Multi-Cooker 5.7L
By Instant Pot, sold by Amazon
Pressure cooker, slow cooker and rice cooker in one pot. Tip everything in, press a button and walk away until it beeps.
See priceat AmazonSee it at AmazonAffiliate link -
Original Leakproof Bento Lunch Box, 6 Compartments
By Yumbox, sold by Amazon
Six sealed sections so nothing touches and nothing leaks into anything else. Useful if food mixing on the plate is a dealbreaker.
See priceat AmazonSee it at AmazonAffiliate link -
Motivational Water Bottle with Time Marker, 1L
By Hydracy, sold by Amazon
Times printed down the side, so a glance tells you if you've drunk anything since breakfast.
See priceat AmazonSee it at AmazonAffiliate link -
Pull Chopper 400ml
By Lakeland
Drop an onion in, pull the cord a few times and it's chopped. No knife work, and one small bowl to rinse.
£7.99See it at LakelandAffiliate link -
Compact Soup Maker
By Lakeland
Chopped veg and stock in, pick smooth or chunky, and soup is ready in about 25 minutes. Small enough to leave out.
£59.99See it at LakelandAffiliate link -
2 Portion Mini Electric Rice Cooker (0.5L)
By Lakeland
Rice for one or two, the same every time, without watching a pan. A safe-food staple that takes up very little counter.
£34.99See it at LakelandAffiliate link -
GoEat Compact 2-in-1 Soup Pot
By Joseph Joseph, sold by Amazon
A small pot with a separate compartment, so soup and bread, or dip and crackers, travel together without touching.
See priceat AmazonSee it at AmazonAffiliate link -
7 Boiled Egg Cooker
By Lakeland
Cooks up to seven eggs in one go, no pan of boiling water to watch. Handy when eggs are a safe food.
£26.99See it at LakelandAffiliate link -
Mindful Chef Recipe Box
By Mindful Chef
Weighed-out ingredients and a recipe card for every meal, so the planning and the big shop are already done. From about £4.50 a portion.
from £4.50See it at Mindful ChefAffiliate link -
HelloFresh Recipe Box
By HelloFresh
Pick your meals each week and everything arrives measured out with step-by-step cards, so tea is sorted without a trip to the shop.
See siteSee it at HelloFreshAffiliate link -
Huel Hot and Savoury Meal Pack (7 meals)
By Huel, sold by Huel
Add hot water to the pasta, noodle or grain meal and it is ready. About £2.80 a meal on subscription.
£19.60See it at HuelAffiliate link -
Wiltshire Farm Foods frozen ready meals
By Wiltshire Farm Foods
Frozen single meals brought to your door by a local driver, with no subscription. A cottage pie is about £4.95.
Affiliate link -
Oakhouse Foods frozen ready meals
By Oakhouse Foods
Frozen ready meals delivered by a local, police-checked driver who will put them in the freezer if you ask. Delivery £2.
Affiliate link -
monbento MB Original bento box (1L)
By monbento, sold by monbento
Two stacking tiers holding 1 litre in all, so an adult lunch fits with foods kept in separate layers. Made in France.
£30.50See it at monbentoAffiliate link -
Thermos Stainless King Food Flask (470ml, Midnight Blue)
By Thermos, sold by Amazon
Keeps food hot for up to 9 hours, per the listing, so a hot safe food can travel to work or school.
See priceat AmazonSee it at AmazonAffiliate link
