The healthiest and unhealthiest frozen dinners

Frozen dinners can serve as a great backup dinner to keep in your freezer at home or a lunch to keep in your office fridge. But some frozen dinners are better than others. While microwave meals have certainly come a long way since the plastic TV dinner trays of decades’ past, there’s still a lot to be desired from some frozen options. Certain brands claim to be healthy because of their low calorie counts, for instance, but are actually loaded up with additives and sodium. Other brands might have food that tastes great but aren’t exactly doing your health any favors. When looking for a healthy frozen dinner, there are a few things you probably want to look for. Simple, real food ingredients are a draw for many consumers, as are low levels of sodium. Additionally, you probably want a meal that’s not overloaded with fat and calories while still satisfying your appetite.

We assessed the top nationally available brands of frozen dinners, omitting breakfast options and products that aren’t sold in single-serve portions. Here are the healthiest and unhealthiest options we could find.