Take in meal as it is prepared (10)
I believe the answer is:
assimilate
'take in' is the definition.
('assimilate' can be a synonym of 'take in')
'meal as it is prepared' is the wordplay.
'prepared' indicates anagramming the letters.
'meal'+'as'+'it'+'is'='mealasitis'
'mealasitis' is an anagram of 'ASSIMILATE'.
(Other definitions for assimilate that I've seen before include "Absorb and digest (food)" , "Take in and understand" , "pick up" , "Become part of the prevailing culture" , "thoroughly understood" .)