It doesn’t matter what season it is—winter, spring, summer or fall—families are busy all year long. But just because we’re short on time, doesn’t mean we don’t want our kids to have delicious and nutritious meals. Luckily, frozen meals have evolved to include breakfast, lunch and dinner, consist of healthier ingredients and offer more kid-friendly options. Here are our picks for the best new frozen meals for busy families.
SeaPak™ Sea Pals
Instead of serving up fish sticks for the kids, opt for the new Sea Pal Shrimp Nuggets from SeaPak™. These sea turtle and starfish-shaped shrimp bites offer a whopping 14 grams of protein per serving, are wrapped in a crispy whole-grain breading and have no artificial preservatives. Our editor’s kids give them two thumbs up!
Buy them here, $5.96.
Belcampo Meatballs
Known for its high-quality meat products, Belcampo recently launched a line of frozen meatballs made from the company’s organic, grass-fed beef; simply heat and eat! We think this is a great way to get protein on your kids’ plate without putting in a lot of time in the kitchen.
Buy them here, $8.99 per bag.
Cinnabon Frosted CinnaSweet Swirls
Made with spicy-sweet goodness and the signature cream cheese frosting, these new Cinnabon Frosted Cinnasweet Swirls are perfect for a cozy weekend morning with the kids.
Buy them here, $9.24.
MorningStar Farms Incogmeato Mickey Mouse Chik’n Nuggets
These new plant-based nuggets are Mickey Mouse shaped, made with non-GMO soy and offer 10 grams of protein per serving. Vegetarians and families hoping to have a meatless meal here or there rave about these, so be sure to give them a try.
Buy them here, $5.27.
Tiller & Hatch Pressure Cooker Meals
This new line of frozen family meals so delicious, the kids will think you spent hours in the kitchen making dinner. There are several to choose from, including chili, chicken tortilla soup, farfalle with chicken and marsala sauce and more.
Buy it here, $9.98 & up.
Smucker's Uncrustables Frozen Turkey & Colby Jack Roll-Ups
Smucker’s new Uncrustables are perfect for lunch boxes or snack time. Made with real turkey and Colby jack cheese, just pull them out and let them thaw! Plus, each serving offers 10 grams of protein.
Buy a box here, $4.99.
Evergreen Waffles
Eating healthy food should be delicious! Evergreen Waffles not only packs tons of nutrient but it's completely void of fillers. The frozen breakfast is made with 100 percent whole wheat, flavored by spices, nuts, vegetables and fruits and is free from refined sugar, dairy, or preservatives. Kids will love the current flavors: Peanut Butter & Banana, Zucchini & Carrot, Mixed Berry & Almond and Chocolate Chip & Matcha.
Available at eatevergreen.com or Midwest locations of Whole Foods Market
Jafflz Gourmet Toasted Pockets
Upgrade your easy lunch game with this kid-approved toasted pocket from Jafflz. With flavors like cheese pizza, sloppy Joe and mac n' cheese, kids will definitely want to try these out. Parents will love that they are filled with only the good stuff—clean, all-natural ingredients. From frozen, you can choose to warm your Jafflz in the microwave for a softer texture, or pop them in the oven or toaster oven for a crispier crunch. Their ham, egg and cheese option is great to add to your breakfast rotation and the Indian curry and enchilada options give you the perfect flavorful kick.
Available at select grocery stories and online.
Deep Indian Kitchen
If you are looking to have some convenient Indian food delivered right to your door, this is the product for you. Everyone’s favorite frozen Indian meals from Deep Indian Kitchen are now available to order online and have shipped directly to you. Try one of their variety packs that includes favorites like Chicken Tikka Masala, Spinach Paneer and Chicken Curry, or a number of meatless options like Potato & Pea Samosas.
Order here.
Organic Ice Wands from DeeBee's Organics
Kids will flip over these Organic Ice Wands featuring Anna, Elsa and Olaf from Frozen 2 and the plant-based Organic SuperFruit Freezies that were released from DeeBee's just in time for the summer heat. DeeBee's Organics shelf-stable freezies are made from premium organic fruits with zero added artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives and are allergen-free of nuts, dairy, fish, wheat and soy. You can feel good serving them every afternoon this summer!
Kashi Vanilla Buttermilk Protein Waffles
Get some protein into their breakfast with these new frozen waffles from Kashi. There are 13 grams of protein and plenty of whole grains in each serving, are Non-GMO certified and made with USDA dairy and cage-free eggs.
Buy a box here, $4.38.
Scott & Jon's Shrimp Ramen Noodle
From Scott & Jon and their frozen shrimp and grain bowls, comes four new flavors—Shrimp Alfredo Pasta, Shrimp Ramen Noodle, Spicy Ramen Noodle, and Shrimp Scampi Pasta. All of their bowls cook in under four minutes and are under 300 calories. Each bowl is also packed with protein.
Buy it here, $3.99.
Crazy Cuizine's General Tso's Chicken
This new take on the classic General Tso's Chicken offers an authentic Hunan flavor in the spicy-sweet ginger sauce, which covers whole chicken breast pieces. This crowd-pleasing frozen meal is perfect over rice, in a wrap or with potstickers.
Available nationwide including Costco, Safeway, Vons, Albertsons, Ralphs, Food 4 Less, Raley’s, SaveMart, Safeway and Lucky Supermarket.
—Gabby Cullen with Karly Wood
All images courtesy of retailers.
RELATED STORIES
Healthy Store-Bought Snacks That’ll Make Your Life Easier
