Marks & Spencer is bringing some upmarket sophistication into the meat-free category with a new range of snackpots and meals called Lovely Vegetables, which each provide two of the RDA of vegetables.

The line-up comprises seven main meals (rsp: £3.99) and three snackpots (rsp: £2.49), with some of the lines changing according to the seasons. Dishes such as beetroot multigrain risotto with goats cheese, roast honey-glazed parsnips & red chard; and falafel & feta snackpot with bulghur wheat, chickpeas, cumin roasted carrots, butternut squash & Moroccan spiced sauce, will roll out from 29 December.

The main meals feature a layered pack where the veg are held in a separate chamber above the sauce, so as they steam they stay crunchy and absorb the sauce flavours, said M&S healthy meals product developer Lesley Anderson.

A growing number of people are choosing to lower their meat consumption, with 23% of the UK population classed as "meat reducers", according to M&S.

Added Anderson: "Lovely Vegetables is perfect for customers who want to cut back on meat or fish but do not want to compromise on taste."