We’ve all been there — you’ve been out of your apartment or dorm all day with classes, club meetings, study sessions and friend meet-ups, and you’re ready to eat as soon as you toss your bag down at home. Groceries may be slim, and either way, you’re aiming to be sitting at the table with a hot plate of food in no more than five minutes.
Here’s when the freezer is truly a blessing, and if you stock it correctly, it’ll save you when you’re in a pinch.
Freezer food can get a bad rep. Sure, if your freezer is anything like mine and you leave it abandoned for a few days, you may be opening the door to brick-hard packages coated in icy crystal. However, freezer food can contain more nutrients and be cheaper than their fresh counterparts. Maybe it’s about time to stop leaving my freezer abandoned.
While frozen meals may have their origins as convenient TV dinners that were packed with sodium and low-quality ingredients, the landscape has dramatically shifted. Today, many brands offer nutritious options featuring whole foods that are sure to leave you feeling satisfied. However, many brands still offer unhealthy options, so it’s important to be cognizant of which brands and meals you’re reaching for in the freezer aisle.
To assess the best frozen meals, I scoured freezer aisles, sampling different brands and cuisines. To synthesize a list of my favorites, I assessed each meal by cost, flavor and nutritional value. The meals that best balanced these three factors made the list, and those that fell short on one or more rubric items were not included.
Here are the best healthy frozen meals to stock your dorm or apartment freezer, and they don’t compromise flavor nor cost.
7. Trader Joe’s Steamed Soup Dumplings
I’ll admit, this may not be the only time you’ll see a Trader Joe’s product featured on this list. All Trader Joe’s freezer meals are under $5, and in terms of quality, they are never considered a last-resort meal. Plus, all of them have a microwave option (I’m impressed if you ever opt into the others).
These soup dumplings come as a chicken, pork and ginger, or a vegetable variation. My personal favorite is the chicken — on a cold, cloudy day, the warm soup that fills these dumplings feels like a comforting hug at first bite. The doughy exterior is just the right amount of chewy, and my only word of warning is to make sure the dumplings have cooled before you indulge. The savory soup won’t taste quite as good with a scorched tongue.
At just $3.49 for six dumplings, this dinner option is good for both the taste buds and the wallet. The chicken dumplings pack 16 grams of protein into each serving, but even so, I would recommend eating with a side to make it a full meal.
6. Red’s Organic Chicken, Cilantro & Lime Burrito
Frozen burritos carry a stigma of a greasy, cheesy, and overall mushy breakfast option. Red’s chicken cilantro and lime burrito completely disproves this stigma and exceeded expectations with its fresh taste and wholesome ingredients.
I air-fried my burrito to achieve a crispier tortilla texture, but using a microwave or an oven to cook the burrito are also options. Red’s also offers a chorizo and a bean, rice, and cheddar burrito, both of which also offer a satisfying morning pick-me-up made with organic ingredients.
I found the spices to be slightly lacking but easily fixable with a side of salsa or sour cream. The burritos came in a pack of ten from Costco for $14.89.
5. Sweet Earth’s Cauliflower Mac
While I’m not a vegan, Sweet Earth’s Cauliflower Mac blew me away for its depth of flavor. I wouldn’t say it tastes like cheese, so I would not recommend going into the meal expecting a traditional mac and cheese dish.
Sweet Earth specializes in plant-forward meals that do not sacrifice flavor. At the first bite, I was shocked at the creamy texture achieved by this frozen food, and as a sweet potato fanatic, I certainly wasn’t mad that that was the first flavor to jump out at me.
Besides their Cauliflower Mac, Sweet Earth’s General Tso’s Tofu and Veggie Pizza are other quality, plant-based meals that my friends and I love to make in a pinch.
4. Saffron Road’s Butter Chicken
Gourmet Indian food out of a freezer? Trust me, I had the same reaction until my friend insisted that Saffron Road’s Indian meals were all that.
Saffron Road is a bit pricier than some other frozen meals, but the extra dollar or two they charge is made up for in quality. My one request would be a higher chicken to rice ratio, but the true star is the creamy, flavor-packed sauce that mimics restaurant-quality Indian flavors. Some friends of mine said the dish lacked spice, but as someone who much prefers milder flavors, I found the heat perfectly suitable.
3. Amy’s Mexican Casserole Bowl
This Mexican Casserole Bowl is an earthy, fresh, and savory comfort food option. The dish is high in fiber and potassium, and with black beans, corn, tomatoes, onion and cheese all together in one bowl, I don’t see who could turn the steaming meal away. The organic white corn masa gives the dish a starchy, rich complexion, and the spices are done just right.
I found this dish not to lack in texture or flavor if I opted for the microwave option, and I’d recommend the same for fellow college students.
2. Trader Joe’s 3 Cheese Spinach & Artichoke Pasta
Trader Joe’s is back for its second appearance on this list, and I’m obsessed with this pasta dish. If you’ve ever indulged in Trader Joe’s Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Dip, you’ll know what I’m talking about when I say run don’t walk to stock your freezer with this spinach and artichoke pasta dish.
To start, the texture. The pasta was cooked to al dente perfection — how the freezer food scientists figured out how to make this happen is beyond me. Upon digging a fork into this dish, you’ll meet layers of a cheesy sauce made with swiss, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, leaves of artichoke and spinach and pillowy orecchiette pasta.
I found the dish to be more satiating than other freezer meals, packed with plenty of nutrients, protein, and carbohydrates. I paired it with a thrown-together side salad and will be making it many times again.
1. Healthy Choice Power Bowls
There’s no doubt meals that come in a single bowl are on the rise. Places like Cava, Sweet Green, and Chopt have exploded in recent years for their meals that contain a customer’s choice of fresh produce, grains and protein, all combined into a single, convenient bowl.
I found Healthy Choice’s power bowls to be the perfect, budget-friendly bowl for when I’m craving a nutrient-dense, satisfying meal high in veggies, protein, and healthy grains. The bowls come in many variations, and my favorites are their Basil Pesto Chicken, Chicken Marinara, and Greek-Style Chicken (can you tell I love chicken?). I added an avocado on top of my bowl for healthy fats and a bit of added creaminess, and I would highly recommend it.
Healthy Choice offers options with either brown and red rice or cauliflower rice, and their recipes are chock-full of plant-based fiber and natural protein options.