The First Swanson TV Dinner Was A Classic Holiday Meal And Cost Around $1

Whether it's to do with food or anything else in life, one of the most common pieces of advice you'll encounter when attempting something new is "start simple." This is the opposite of what Swanson did when it launched its first TV dinner. As much due to circumstance as anything else, the first ever Swanson dinner was not something simple, but a classic holiday meal that included slices of turkey, cornbread stuffing, peas, and sweet potatoes. This was back in 1953, and the meal weighed 12 ounces and cost $1.09.

There's an interesting story behind what was included in Swanson's first TV dinner (this is the most widely accepted version, per the Smithsonian). Prior to 1953, Swanson was best known for its frozen pot pies. Having wildly overestimated the demand for turkey at Thanksgiving in 1953, the company was left with 260 tons of frozen birds that it didn't know what to do with. As executives panicked, one employee came up with the idea of adding classic sides to it and selling it as a packaged, frozen meal.

According to AdWeek, the idea came from a sales rep, Gerry Thomas, who was inspired by the aluminium trays American Airlines served its meals in. He even sent a sample tray to company execs in Omaha to convince them. It's a good thing that they were convinced, considering Swanson sold millions of TV dinners in 1954, the first full year of production.

According to Click Americana, the price point for TV dinners settled at around 59 cents, and their popularity went through the roof. The price didn't go up too much over the next two decades either. The Smithsonian refers to a newspaper report from 1977, which quotes a happy customer, who said, "In what other way can I get a single serving of turkey, a portion of dressing and the potatoes, vegetable and dessert for something like 69 cents?"

Even today, they remain a much cheaper alternative to eating out. In fact, as inflation dragged on in the early part of this decade, frozen foods once again became the new normal. If you're wondering whether it's worth giving some of them a shot, here's a list of 20 Healthy Choice frozen meals, ranked worst to best. And in case you need it, here are 15 ways in which you can improve your frozen meals.