The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word SUPPERS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
S
U
P
P
E
R
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Meals" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case meals = suppers.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SUPPERS mean?
SUPPERS noun- Food consumed before going to bed.
- Any meal eaten in the evening; dinner eaten in the evening, rather than at noon.
- A meal from a chip shop consisting of a deep-fried food with chips.
- To consume a snack before retiring.
- To eat dinner (see above).
- A drinker, especially one who drinks slowly (i.e., one who sups).