Are Frozen Entrees Healthy?

Created by: Kristen Carli, Dietetic Intern

Most of us lead very busy lives and often do not have time to make dinner, nonetheless plan out and prep our meals. Frozen entrees offer a convenience and cost advantage over homemade meals. However, there are some things to watch out for!

Frozen foods can be a great way to buy more affordable vegetables or fruits, but you should be cautious when buying frozen entrees. They are often packed with loads of sodium, saturated fat, added sugars and often lack any vegetables.

How to use frozen entrees to your advantage

Check out the following tips to maximize the nutrition of your frozen entrees.

Limit Sodium

If you are going to stock up on frozen meals, look for ones that are lower in sodium. Frozen meals are notoriously high in sodium, sometimes almost doubling your sodium content for the day! Seek out meals with about 600 mg of sodium. 

Saturated Fat, Added Sugars

Also be on the lookout for saturated fat and added sugars. Try to decrease your consumption of these. Use the nutrition facts label to seek out frozen entrees that are low in saturated fat and added sugars.  

Add a Salad or Vegetable Side

Frozen foods are not the most nutrition-packed meals. However, you can make the meals more complete by offering a large salad or vegetable side dish. This way your meal is more balanced, adding some fiber, vitamins, and minerals. 

Switch It Up

Try not to eat frozen entrees everyday. Because they aren’t the healthiest meals to consume, aim to increase the amount of meals you cook yourself.  This does not need to be drastic. Start small and slowly increase the amount of meals you cook yourself. 

Material adapted from eatright.org