Healthy frozen meals can be more convenient than cooking from scratch, and they can even help you lose weight — if you know which ones to buy. “For many people, frozen meals can absolutely offer a healthy option for any meal throughout the day,” says Kristen Smith, RDN , the Atlanta-based creator of 360 Family Nutrition. While you might think of frozen food as chicken fingers or pot pies, frozen meals can help you stick to healthier fare and avoid overfilling your plate. “What I love most is that frozen meals contain built-in portion control — that is important for many people,” says Amy Shapiro, RDN , founder of Real Nutrition in New York City. There are other perks too, if you make healthy choices. “They’re often easier and healthier than ordering in, because takeaway can have more fat and sodium than you might have planned on,” Shapiro says, adding that frozen meals can be loaded with important vegetables that provide valuable vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Plus, they don’t require you to have to do any complicated nutrition tabulations. “Frozen meals provide an option that takes the guesswork out of calculating calories and other macronutrients, and lower-calorie frozen meals provide a convenient, calorie-controlled option that may aid with weight loss,” adds Smith. Here are top choices from the freezer case. default
Kashi Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl Calling all quinoa fans! This bowl from Kashi features a bed of quinoa and brown rice with roasted sweet potatoes , black beans, and kale piled on top. If you aren’t a fan of quinoa yet, know this: While quinoa is technically a seed, it’s classified as a whole grain, and it is a good source of plant protein and fiber .e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976299440da8c-09a7-4fe4-9231-b331c3418473 Fiber, which adds bulk to your diet and promotes fullness, is jam-packed into this meal, with 12 grams (g), making it an excellent source of the nutrient.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976297a6c1c05-24e3-4d58-bf83-514c671542b4 “Look for meals with at least 5 g of fiber to help keep you full,” advises Carol Aguirre, RDN , owner of Nutrition Connections in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A heads-up: This meal contains 270 calories, and Aguirre recommends that most people aim for roughly 350 to 600 calories per meal. Pair this option with a plant-based side dish to up your calories and protein , so that you’re not hungry an hour later. Calories: 270 Fat : 6 g Sodium: 280 milligrams (mg) Carbohydrates : 48 g Protein: 9 g Total sugar: 11 g (4 g from added sugar) Fiber: 12 g
Performance Kitchen Mediterranean-Style Salmon Pasta You get to reap all the health benefits of salmon with this frozen meal, courtesy of Performance Kitchen. Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids , which offer a number of health perks, from making your blood less likely to form clots to helping to decrease your triglyceride levels (a fat in your blood).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629f258ffc1-7902-4a67-92b4-1dddf7f01dfe Salmon also provides protein — and this meal has a decent amount of it, with 15 g, making it an excellent source. And the amount of protein in your meal is important. “Ideally a meal should have 15 grams of protein per serving,” says Aguirre. Eating protein from healthy sources like salmon can decrease your odds of developing diseases and an early death.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629b1db1657-de6e-49d6-bb83-2314227ce979 Calories: 400 Fat: 26 g Sodium: 590 mg Carbs: 29 g Protein: 15 g Total sugar: 5 g Fiber: 5 g
Saffron Road Thai Red Curry Chicken This Thai curry dish via Saffron Road comes loaded with flavor — and nutrition. Win-win! The red peppers and green beans deliver fiber and vitamins, while the chicken ups the meal’s protein. And although the fiber is on the lower side, there’s a fix for that. “Don’t stress if the frozen meal does not contain an adequate amount of veggies — you can always add raw veggies, like carrots or broccoli , or a small salad on the side,” says Smith. For example, try pairing this meal with a walnut-topped salad, since walnuts contain both protein and fiber, or a piece of fruit.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762911282cc8-2394-4c49-a28e-1b1b935a9fcf Calories: 350 Fat: 13 g Sodium: 580 mg Carbs: 45 g Protein: 14 g Total sugar: 5 g Fiber: 1 g
Evol Foods Balance Bowl If you love ordering grain bowls, consider an at-home version by Evol Foods. It’s made with grilled chicken, red rice, and half a cup of vegetables (including asparagus ) in a basil pesto sauce. And it falls in the nutritionist-approved sodium range. “Try to stick with frozen meals that contain less than 700 mg of sodium per serving,” advises Smith. “If you have been given a more severe sodium restriction, try to find a frozen meal closer to 500 mg per serving, and limit yourself to only one frozen meal per day.” Decreasing your sodium may help lower your blood pressure or prevent you from developing high blood pressure .e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762942ba66cc-a9d7-4684-808a-72845e9901bc The American Heart Association recommends no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day for most adults, especially those with high blood pressure. To up this meal’s protein, try topping your bowl with a hard-boiled egg (6 g protein) and half a cup of broccoli for extra fiber (2.5 g).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629368f8541-c53f-4519-976c-7b882c7d7cc5e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629a8e8bac3-bb30-4bb7-959f-729e40122936 Calories: 460 Fat: 27 g Sodium: 350 mg Carbs: 43 g Protein: 13 g Total sugar: 4 g Fiber: 3 g
Daily Harvest Sweet Potato and Wild Rice Hash Harvest Bowl You’ll get your fill of veggies from this Daily Harvest bowl , which comes with tomato, avocado , sweet potatoes, and mushrooms, plus beans and wild rice. Shapiro loves Daily Harvest , a company that delivers ready-to-make meals made with whole foods, for their simple and veggie-forward ingredient list. “I love to encourage individuals to enjoy frozen meals that are filled with plants,” says Shapiro, adding that Daily Harvest offers everything from smoothies to harvest bowls to flatbreads, and it is all organic and vegan . Because this meal doesn’t hit that 15 g protein target, think about adding more beans or an animal protein. Calories: 330 Fat: 11 g Sodium: 470 mg Carbs: 50 g Protein: 8 g Total sugar: 11 g Fiber: 9 g
Amy’s Mexican-Inspired Veggies and Black Beans This dish from Amy’s Kitchen delivers on veggies: Zucchini, sweet potatoes, and corn on a bed of riced cauliflower make it a fiber-packed pick. The meal has a simple ingredient list as well, which is key, says Shapiro. “Just because the nutrition facts label looks good doesn’t mean there aren’t less healthy ingredients included like some artificial sweeteners, stabilizers, and fillers,” she cautions. Be sure to always check a frozen meal’s ingredient list. Because this dish doesn’t reach 15 g of protein, you might want to consider adding another source, like leftover grilled chicken, or if you’re vegetarian or vegan, consider sprinkling on cashews, which may complement the dish’s chipotle and cashew cream sauce. Calories: 270 Fat: 10 g Sodium: 590 mg Carbs: 36 g Protein: 9 g Total sugar: 8 g (no added sugar) Fiber: 7 g
Lean Cuisine Korean-Style Rice and Vegetables Bowl You’ll get plenty of fiber (7 g) from this Lean Cuisine bowl that contains 1 whole cup of veggies, including shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, carrots, and kale. You’ll also score protein from the edamame soybeans , which are a healthy plant-based protein source. To up the protein total of 12 g, you may want to add tofu . Calories: 370 Fat: 7 g Sodium: 450 mg Carbs: 64 g Protein: 12 g Total sugar: 7 g Fiber: 7 g
Green Giant California-Style Harvest Protein Bowl Although this bowl by Green Giant also doesn’t contain meat, you’ll still receive big rewards when it comes to the protein content (14 g). The dish includes edamame soybeans, lentils, sunflower seeds, and quinoa, which all provide protein, plus veggies including grilled red bell peppers, corn, carrots, peas, and kale. Also, this meal has only 1.5 g of saturated fat. “Ideally you’ll want no more than 5 g of saturated fat,” says Shapiro. Overall, the less fat, the better. Saturated fat is an unhealthy fat that in excess can harm the heart.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629f1cc75db-f23f-455a-ba79-b63f9dfe07ac Calories: 290 Fat: 9 g Sodium: 540 mg Carbs: 39 g Protein: 14 g Total sugar: 8 g Fiber: 9 g
Gardein Chick’n Fajita Bowl Not only is this vegan fajita bowl from Gardein on the lower end of the sodium spectrum — it also contains a solid amount of protein (15 g, making it an excellent source). What’s more, you’ll land 4 g of fiber, thanks in part to the black beans. Beans are a rich source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, and a high-fiber diet can help you maintain a healthy weight.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762990338eb2-eeb1-412f-a3a8-0d86331f8ad5e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629ddbb795a-59e8-4217-ab3a-72608822251d To get an even bigger fiber punch from this meal, top the dish with avocado slices: Half an avocado contains 5 g of fiber, making it a good source.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629e609697c-c131-4bf9-a2e0-18a7b3278777 Calories: 250 Fat: 3.5 g Sodium: 360 mg Carbs: 41 g Protein: 15 g Total sugar: 7 g Fiber: 4 g
Healthy Choice Barbecue Seasoned Steak With Red Potatoes You get the decadent taste of barbecued steak, plus an impressive 16 g of protein, for only 300 calories in total with this Healthy Choice meal . To get the fiber up to the 5 g mark, think about adding a plant-based side, like green beans (1 cup contains 3 g of fiber).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629c244b4fb-611d-4cc8-915d-52ce9ccd04a6 Also worth noting: The meal’s whiskey BBQ sauce adds flavor but also increases the sugar total. Shapiro advises looking for meals that are less than 11 g of sugar, and the American Heart Association recommends no more than 25 g of added sugar per day.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629af271ae1-d923-4d2b-a184-e18ae6398ed0 So, if you do go for this option, you’ll likely want to skip dessert. Calories: 300 Fat: 4 g Sodium: 450 mg Carbs: 49 g Protein: 16 g Total sugar: 16 g (all from added sugar) Fiber: 4 g
The Takeaway Frozen meals can support weight loss when they’re balanced, portion-controlled, and rich in protein and fiber. Choosing options with whole ingredients and minimal added sugar or sodium can improve overall nutrition. High-protein frozen meals can help promote fullness and preserve muscle while you’re losing weight. Reading nutrition labels carefully is key to finding frozen meals that align with your weight loss goals.
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