Waitrose has announced the launch of a new ‘riceless risotto’, which it has termed a UK supermarket first.

The launch of the ‘Mushotto’ is part of the growing trend for swapping traditional carbohydrates for vegetables, in the search for low calorie ready-meals.  The dish is made using celeriac and mushroom in a cheesy sauce, topped with sliced roasted mushrooms and steamed kale. It contains just 226 calories as well as contributing at least 2 of the 5-a-day.

Nicola Wall, Waitrose’s Ready-meal Buyer, comments: “January is typically a month where shoppers focus on healthy eating, but sticking to salads can be a challenge when the weather is so cold. We’ve launched a new range of healthy ready-meals to take the stress and worry away from sticking to a calorie controlled diet and we think our customers will really enjoy still being able to eat something hearty and nutritious when they get home from work.”