For ultimate mealtime convenience, there’s no more obvious choice than frozen dinners. These pre-made meals can be ensconced in your freezer practically indefinitely, patiently waiting to answer the call when you need a quick dinner. And frozen meals have come a long way since the days of the culinarily questionable TV dinners of years gone by. Many now offer relatively good nutrition, providing a balance of protein, starch, and veggies.
That said, plenty of frozen dinners remain that are less than optimal for health. To retain flavor through weeks or months of freezing, many get injected with copious amounts of sodium, artificial flavors, and fats. Meanwhile, they’re a classic example of an ultra-processed food—the kind that undergoes serious transformation between farm and table. Since research shows that ultra-processed foods are bad news for numerous health issues (including obesity, diabetes, and some cancers), it’s best to eat them sparingly. Here are 11 particularly notable frozen dinner offenders to avoid, ranked from pretty bad for you to the #1 absolute worst.
Marie Callender’s Chicken Pot Pie
Nutrition (Per 1/2 pie):
Calories: 440
Fat: 26 g (Saturated Fat: 11 g)
Sodium: 650 mg
Carbs: 40 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 2 g)
Protein: 11 g
Don’t get us wrong: Marie Callender’s Chicken Pot Pie is tasty comfort food, without a doubt. On a Costco run, this fan favorite finds its way into many a cart. (It’s sold elsewhere, too, but is a standard in the Costco freezer case.)
Still, its velvety sauce and flaky pastry come at a cost to your health. Take a look at its Nutrition Facts label—notice anything? The Chicken Pot Pie’s serving size is just half the pie! Since most people consider a pot pie a standalone meal, you may find it hard to stop at the halfway mark. If you eat the whole thing, you’ll end up with nearly 900 calories, more than a full day’s worth of saturated fat, and only 4 grams of fiber.
Totino’s Combination Party Pizza
Nutrition (Per ½ pizza):
Calories: 370
Fat: 19 g (Saturated Fat: 8 g)
Sodium: 770 mg
Carbs: 39 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 9 g
This one’s another case of deceiving serving size. As every latchkey kid knows, Totino’s Party Pizzas are usually a one-person affair. Yet, according to the pizza’s official nutrition facts, a serving is just half a pie. Assuming you chow down on the entire pizza, you’ll take in 740 calories, almost 70% of the daily sodium recommendation, and nearly 80% of your daily saturated fat.
We’re also not fans of the Totino’s Combination Party Pizza’s ingredient list. It’s as long as your arm and contains all sorts of additives, preservatives, and artificial flavors.
Great Value Meat Lover’s Lasagna
Nutrition (Per tray):
Calories: 480
Fat: 19 g (Saturated Fat: 9 g)
Sodium: 1,160 mg
Carbs: 53 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 12 g)
Protein: 25 g
While we’ll grant that Great Value’s Meat Lover’s Lasagna contains some vitamin C and antioxidants from its tomato-based sauce (and a hefty helping of protein, to boot), these benefits don’t do much to counteract its meat-heavy risks. Red and processed meats like the ones found here are linked to increased risk of colon cancer. Did we mention its high saturated fat and sodium?
El Monterey Three Cheese Quesadilla
Nutrition (Per bowl):
Calories: 580
Fat: 29 g (Saturated Fat: 11 g)
Sodium: 840 mg
Carbs: 59 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 2 g)
Protein: 21 g
Cheese, cheese, and more cheese! Don’t expect a queso-topped cheese quesadilla to be light and lean. This one from El Monterey is high in both fat and saturated fat. Meanwhile, its ingredient list is seriously lengthy—a hallmark of ultra-processing.
Banquet Mega Bowl Dynamite Penne with Meatballs
Nutrition (Per bowl):
Calories: 590
Fat: 27 g (Saturated Fat: 9 g)
Sodium: 1,150 mg
Carbs: 61 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 7 g)
Protein: 24 g
The name “Banquet” is apropos here—the brand’s Mega Bowl Dynamite Penne with Meatballs is indeed a banquet for one. As you dig into its cheesy, spicy pasta and epic meatballs, stay mindful that this is best as a once-in-awhile indulgence. Try splitting this one in half with a family member and serving salad or veggies on the side.
Hungry Man Grilled Beef Steakettes
Nutrition (Per tray):
Calories: 590
Fat: 39 g (Saturated Fat: 14 g)
Sodium: 1,570 mg
Carbs: 36 g (Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 24 g
Don’t let the “grilled” or the diminutive “-ettes” fool you in this meal. Hungry Man’s Grilled Beef Steakettes are no healthy choice. While we’ll give them a few points for their inclusion of mixed vegetables, the 80% saturated fat value they provide is far more than you need at a single meal. And, considering these are made of beef, their protein content of 24 grams is relatively low.
Banquet Mega Meals Bacon Cheddar Patty
Nutrition (Per meal):
Calories: 560
Fat: 34 g (Saturated Fat: 12 g)
Sodium: 1,280 mg
Carbs: 38 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 8 g)
Protein: 23 g
Another meal for the extra-hungry among us, the Banquet Mega Meal Bacon Cheddar patty doesn’t skimp on portions. It doesn’t skimp on fat, saturated fat, calories, or sodium, either. P.S. Though the label calls this meal’s patty a Salisbury steak, its first ingredient is mechanically separated chicken.
Hungry Man XL Chicken Croquettes & Jalapeño Pepper Mac ‘n Cheese
Nutrition (Per meal):
Calories: 620
Fat: 27 g (Saturated Fat: 9 g)
Sodium: 1,400 mg
Carbs: 68 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 7 g)
Protein: 27 g
One of the highest-calorie meals on our list is the Hungry Man XL Chicken Croquettes & Jalapeño Pepper Mac ‘n Cheese. In addition to its elevated calorie count of 620, its fried chicken pieces are another point in its “minus” column. Studies have associated eating more fried foods with an increased risk of death from any cause, especially cardiovascular disease.
Stouffer’s Large Salisbury Steak
Nutrition (Per package):
Calories: 580
Fat: 28 g (Saturated Fat: 14 g)
Sodium: 1,660 mg
Carbs: 47 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 7 g)
Protein: 36 g
Some frozen dinners are rather small and unsatisfying. Stouffer’s large-sized frozen entrees, on the other hand, offer plenty of food for large appetites. But serving Salisbury steak atop mac and cheese isn’t exactly a recipe for health. This entrée is heavy on fat (especially the saturated kind) with zero veggies and very little fiber. We say skip it.
Boston Market Buffalo Style Chicken Mac & Cheese
Nutrition (Per tray):
Calories: 570
Fat: 24 g (Saturated Fat: 11 g)
Sodium: 1,760 mg
Carbs: 61 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 6 g)
Protein: 28 g
Boston Market’s in-person restaurants offer plenty of healthy dinner options. Their frozen meals, however? Not so much. The Buffalo Style Chicken Mac & Cheese is among the worst of the bunch. Of its 61 grams of carbs, only 3 come from fiber, meaning you’ll only get 12% of the Daily Value of fiber from this meal. Other red flags include its lack of fiber and numerous additives.
And the #1 Worst…Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Hot Dog Chili Bowl ‘N’ Cheesy Tots with Beef Chili & Nacho Cheese Sauce
Nutrition (Per bowl):
Calories: 520
Fat: 36 g (Saturated Fat: 14 g)
Sodium: 1,840 mg
Carbs: 29 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 5 g)
Protein: 22 g
Let’s be honest: no one sees Guy Fieri’s Flavortown and thinks “healthy choice.” Of Fieri’s line of frozen meals, the Hot Dog Chili Bowl ‘N’ Cheesy Tots with Beef Chili & Nacho Cheese Sauce—whew, that’s a mouthful!—is the unhealthiest of all. Fire up a bowl in the microwave and the combo of mini dogs, tots, chili, and nacho cheese will set you back 520 heavy calories. And, unless you count tater tots as vegetables, there’s nary a veggie or fruit in sight, making this a less-than-balanced dinner.
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