It was presented as news you could use — if you wanted to eat, but not cook, a gourmet Christmas dinner at home.

"This holiday season, many of Toronto's fine food shops are offering festive takeout gourmet food," reporter Chris Henry told Newshour viewers just ahead of Christmas in 1986.

"And more and more people are discovering just how quick and easy haute cuisine can be."

The segment showed various Torontonians talking about what they liked about the fancy, no-fuss meals.

Almost like a TV dinner

This man told CBC News that he saw the appeal of a meal that only required being heated up in an oven. (Newshour/CBC Archives)

"When you get it, you just shove it in the oven," said a man wearing an ascot.

"Don't ask me about preparing the food, because I'm afraid I'm not very good at it. I'm very good at eating it, though."

Henry compared the meals to another kind of quick dinner, but with one clear difference.

"Takeout gourmet food is almost as easy to prepare as a TV dinner, but the difference is, the food is fresh," said Henry.

You get what you pay for

If you wanted a prepared lobster for Christmas, you could get one if you were willing to pay for it. (Newshour/CBC Archives)

Many of the meals on offer were far from the traditional turkey and mashed potatoes, with Henry naming roast pheasant with truffles and lobster fricassee as two such choices.

"Prices vary, depending on what you want," he explained. "You can spend as much as $175 for Iranian caviar or just $10 can get you fresh Atlantic salmon in champagne cream."

Henry said the increasing popularity of these "gourmet-to-go" options meant you had to order ahead if you wanted to be enjoying one of these meals on Christmas Day.

"Give the shops at least 24 hours' notice so they can prepare the food properly," he advised.