convenience food

American  

noun

1. any packaged food, dish, or meal that can be prepared quickly and easily, as by thawing or heating.

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convenience food British  

noun

1. food that needs little preparation, especially food that has been pre-prepared and preserved for long-term storage

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Etymology

Origin of convenience food

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

It can be convenience food or a small luxury, a weeknight staple or a minor event.

From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026

The growing popularity of convenience food in the developing world is partly responsible for the growth in obesity rates amongst children, according to Unicef.

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2025

There was less processed, convenience food and you had to produce meals from real ingredients.

From The Guardian • Sep. 27, 2018

“It can be a way of hooking an audience who are already familiar with the material, and that can feel like convenience food; too much of the lifting is pre-done.”

From New York Times • Feb. 14, 2018

Then came a fat man and woman with their two small boys who were also fat, which probably meant they all ate too much convenience food and needed to improve their diet.

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd