These 7 Grocery Store Frozen Dinner Brands Are Made With High-Quality Ingredients

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Perhaps in an ideal world, you'd finish work every day in time to cook a gourmet meal, wine glass in hand and music flowing out of the speakers. Or perhaps not. Perhaps in your version of a perfect world, all the frozen dinners from the grocery store are fabulous. None of them are freezer burnt, and all of them are both nutritious and bursting with flavor.

Sadly, we don't live in a perfect world, but we do live in a world where several grocery store frozen dinner brands are made with high-quality ingredients. I've used my training as a certified nutrition coach to examine the nutrition labels and ingredient lists of myriad frozen dinners. Those that consistently hit the mark earned a place on this list.

As a food lover who understands that "high-quality" can mean things other than "nutritious," too, brands that use top-tier ingredients — for instance, imported cheeses and organic vegetables — were given extra priority. Where applicable, I've shared personal experiences with products, and I've frequently turned to customers' online reviews to supplement my recommendations.

As its name suggests, Kidfresh is a brand designed specifically for toddlers and children. Even so, I loved its Wagon Wheels Mac & Cheese when I tried it alongside my two year old. And according to a fellow Tasting Table writer, Kidfresh is actually one of the best mac and cheese brands, period (Beecher's was the only brand that ranked higher, which is fair). The Wagon Wheels Mac & Cheese beautifully illustrates the mission of Kidfresh. The carrots are magnificently hidden in the cheese sauce, and there are no artificial flavors or food coloring. Plus, there are 12 grams of protein per bowl, and this pasta is also a good source of calcium. Of course, the wheel-shaped pasta is a whimsical touch that makes this pasta easy and fun to eat for young kids and adults alike.

Kidfresh also offers several chicken-based products that are healthier than you might think. Take the White Meat Chicken Nuggets. They contain significantly less sodium and fat than standard chicken nuggets, and they also have 12 grams of protein per five-nugget serving. Furthermore, instead of just featuring white flour that's been partially stripped of its nutrients, the breading in these nuggets contains whole-wheat flour and whole-grain millet flour. Pureed cauliflower and onions are hiding in there, too. Finally, the chickens used to make this product haven't been treated with antibiotics, and that's true of all the meat found in Kidfresh meals (growth hormones and rBST are likewise no-nos).

I remember the first time I was allowed to microwave a package of Amy's Macaroni and Cheese on my own. Even my best friend's health-conscious mother approved of it. While I wouldn't go so far as to say that this mac and cheese constitutes a well-rounded meal, it's certainly one of the more nutritionally sound mac and cheeses on the market. It contains real cheddar cheese and butter, mostly organic ingredients, and annatto, a natural food coloring. There's even a smaller portion size available at Sprouts. Sure, the sodium content could be lower, but this is mac and cheese we're talking about.

As I've grown older and tried other Amy's products, I've learned that they are similarly delicious and relatively nutritious. In most of its frozen meals, Amy's uses largely organic ingredients, though a few conventional ingredients are still present. That was the case for Amy's frozen Margherita Pizza, which I once ranked second best in a taste test of several frozen Margherita pizzas. I praised this pizza's simple and flavorful ingredients, and I also appreciated that the cheese was made without animal enzymes and is thus suitable for vegetarians.

Pizza and pasta aren't all that Amy's specializes in. The Indian Samosa Wrap and Mole Enchilada both demonstrate how the brand caters to folks from multiple backgrounds. In fact, a fellow writer once ranked the cheese enchilada as Amy's best frozen meal. There are even a few vegan options, like the Thai Green Curry.

I've made falafel at home before, and it's a commitment, even if you're using boxed falafel mix. At the same time, I don't love the way deep-fried falafel makes my stomach feel. Plus, there are the extra calories, fats, and oxidative stress to think about, among other health concerns. That's where Afia comes in. This brand's falafel are flash-fried, rather than deep-fried, and they can be purchased in packs of 15 or as part of falafel bowls.

If it's a full-fledged dinner that you're searching for, the falafel bowls are a fabulous place to start. There are several flavors, including a Sweet Potato and Kale Bowl, an Artichoke and Quinoa Bowl, an Onion and Lentil Bowl, and a Roasted Peppers and Tomato Bowl. Each variation contains 12 grams of protein and is free of the top eight allergens. These bowls are also vegan and tend to be packed with iron, potassium, and fiber.

Meanwhile, meat-eaters will delight in Afia's Chicken Bowls. Each one contains at least 21 grams of protein and is made with halal and antibiotic-free chicken. You can choose from three flavors: Lemon Potato, Harissa Honey, and Garlic Sumac.

Most of Afia's bowls are low in added sugar, but you should still keep an eye on the sodium content. Sometimes, but not always, natural flavors are present — like with the lemon vinaigrette in the Sweet Potato and Kale Bowl.

Remember when everyone was wild about the emerging Blue Zone research? The reasons why people in 'Blue Zones' live longer are many and complex, but diet definitely seems to be part of the equation. Blue Zones Kitchen is a brand built upon the typical diets of folks living in Blue Zones around the world. That means nutritionally dense legumes, whole grains, and vegetables are front and center. This is a superb brand to explore if you're craving ingredients less common in frozen dinners, such as konjac and miso.

Rather than spreading itself thin, Blue Zones Kitchen currently offers eight frozen dinners. Each one, though, is made with high-quality ingredients, and taken together, they represent and appeal to many different cultures. The entirely vegan lineup includes meals inspired by Hawaiian, Italian, Latin American, and East Asian cuisines. These meals are anything but boring. The Basil Pesto Veggie Bowl, for example, includes Great Northern beans, cauliflower, tomato, basil, walnuts, and quinoa. It's an excellent source of fiber, protein, and iron, and its multiple textures will keep you coming back for more.

There are no artificial ingredients or added sugar in these meals. There's not even sugar in the Korean Bibimbap Bowl or the Spicy Sweet Hawaiian Bowl; both derive their sweetness from fruits like pear and pineapple. Furthermore, the beans are organic, and all the other ingredients are certified non-GMO.

Saffron Road is one of those often overlooked store-bought dinner brands that deserve way more attention. Though you may already know Saffron Road for its excellent simmer sauces and crunchy chickpeas, how many of its frozen entrées have you tried? From Indian and Thai to Mexican, there are enough options to fill your dinner table for several weeks.

For the most part, Saffron Road's frozen dinners are meat-based, though there are a few vegetarian and vegan products, too. When meat is involved, you can rest assured that it's certified halal and that the chickens haven't been raised with antibiotics. All the frozen meals are gluten-free, and none contain artificial ingredients. These meals are generally high in protein and a good source of fiber, but watch out for the sodium content.

When it comes to both nutrition and flavor, the Chickpea Masala is one of Saffron Road's best products. It was even named the runner-up in a fellow writer's ranking of Saffron Road frozen entrées. This vegan meal has a straightforward ingredients list that's packed with spices, and it boasts 10 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber, 20% of your daily recommended potassium intake, and 25% of your recommended daily iron intake. Add a steamed vegetable on the side, and you'll have a well-rounded meal on your hands!

At first glance, Rao's might not seem like the most health-conscious brand on this list. There's a lot of cheese to think about, which also means more sodium and saturated fat. But that doesn't mean Rao's products don't have their merits, and they can certainly be enjoyed in moderation every once in a while. Cheese is a great source of calcium and protein, after all.

Notably, most of Rao's frozen dinners are free of artificial flavors. Meanwhile, heart-healthy olive oil and Italian tomatoes make these meals stand out in flavor. Alcohol is sometimes present, too; white wine, for instance, is included in the Chicken Alfredo, and vodka stars in the Penne Alla Vodka. Are wine and vodka nutritional superstars? Far from it. But they do add an impressive amount of flavor to these dishes, and so they can be considered high-quality ingredients in their own right.

For a vegetable-forward option, try the Vegetable Lasagna with Marinara Sauce. Otherwise, I suggest pairing these dinners with steamed vegetables on the side for more nutrients and fiber. Finally, don't be scared off by the lengthy ingredient lists on some of these products; usually, that's a result of each cheese being described ingredient-by-ingredient.

Going into this review, I had high expectations for Healthy Choice frozen dinners, based on the brand's name alone. As it turns out, Healthy Choice meals tend to be high in protein and fiber, yet don't pack a huge caloric punch. If you're on a diet and cutting calories, that might be welcome news. Those of us who need more filling meals, though, may need to supplement these bowls with side items. Either that, or go for the Max Bowls, which contain 33 to 34 grams of protein and 400 to 500 calories each. With so much protein per serving, these bowls might appeal to athletes in particular.

It's worth mentioning that natural flavoring is used in some Healthy Choice meals, such as the Southwest-Style Chicken Burrito Bowl. Natural flavors aren't always as natural or nourishing as they sound, so many consumers would prefer to avoid them entirely. The sodium content in these meals can be a bit excessive, too.

Healthy Choice tends to be a very meat-heavy brand, which will surely disappoint those of you who are vegetarians and vegans. We can only hope that the brand includes more plant-based options in the future. Sadly, the Buddha Bowl, which once won first prize in a fellow writer's Healthy Choice frozen meals roundup, seems to have disappeared.

"High-quality" can mean many different things, but in writing this article, I prioritized brands whose products typically offer an excellent array of vitamins and minerals. Some of these brands use organic ingredients, while others are known for intentionally sourcing coveted ingredients like Italian tomatoes. 

I featured brands that are well-reviewed for being flavorful and ones that don't rely on natural or artificial flavors. Of course, a brand didn't need to meet all the above criteria in all its products to be included — otherwise, we wouldn't have an article at all. Price was not a factor.