The Healthiest Frozen Foods in the Supermarket: Breakfast
You'll have no excuses now for grabbing a fast-food biscuit—or skipping breakfast—thanks to the variety of healthy frozen breakfasts available in the supermarket. Options range from scramble bowls, hot cereals, and muffins, to omelets and frittatas. Due to the variety of the frozen breakfasts, we didn't rank them, but rather we're just sharing our favorites from what we tasted. Keep your freezer stocked so you've got a quick, convenient way to start the day.
Taste Test Winners:
Struggling to cook healthy? We'll help you prep.
Amy's Tofu Scramble
Even our tasters who aren't tofu fans ate this breakfast plate up.The tofu is sautéed with spinach, onions, zucchini, and mushrooms to create a satisfying vegan scramble. The dish also features a generous portion of shredded hash brown potatoes and sliced tomatoes that somehow maintained great texture and flavor. $4.49, vegan, gluten-free
Calories 320; Fat 19g (sat 3g); Protein 22g; Carb 19g; Fiber 4g; Sugars 4g; Chol 0mg; Iron 5mg; Sodium 580mg; Calc 150mg
Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Bowl
This hearty bowl features sausage crumbles and shredded cheese sprinkled over scrambled egg whites and diced potatoes. While the egg whites are slightly rubbery, the turkey sausage has great flavor, and the potatoes resembled hash browns with a crispy outside and tender middle. $2.50
Calories 240; Fat 8g (sat 3.5g); Protein 22g; Carb 19g; Fiber 2g; Sugars 1g; Chol 25mg; Iron 1mg; Sodium 720mg; Calc 150mg
Good Food Made Simple Fruit & Berries Oatmeal
While convenience is nice, we questioned whether frozen oatmeal was really a needed convenience food since it only takes a few more minutes to cook from scratch. We changed our tune though after tasting a spoonful of this oatmeal. It was creamy, but the oats had a little bite creating a nice texture for hot cereal. A touch of maple syrup and brown sugar added a subtle sweetness, and the berries tasted plump and fresh. $3.69 for 2 servings, vegan
Calories 200; Fat 2.5g (sat 0g); Protein 5g; Carb 39g; Fiber 4g; Sugars 15g; Chol 0mg; Iron 2mg; Sodium 55mg; Calc 40mg
Garden Lites Carrot Berry Muffins
These muffins are closer in size to muffin tops than wholes muffin, but we really liked their moist, crumbly texture and cinnamon, carrot cake-like flavor. Pair a muffin with eggs or Greek yogurt to create a satisfying breakfast meal. Save extras for breakfast later in the week or eat one for a quick snack. $4.19 for 4 muffins, vegetarian, gluten-free
Calories 120; Fat 2g (sat 0.5g); Protein 3g; Carb 24g; Fiber 3g; Sugars 11g; Chol 20mg; Iron 0mg; Sodium 250mg; Calc 40mg
Things to Look For:
- Sodium: Even though breakfast meals often have minimal ingredients, the sodium in ingredients like cheese, hash browns, sausage, and bacon can add up quickly. Look for meals that have less than 750mg sodium, and sides such as muffins to 300mg or less.
- Saturated Fat: Eggs, cheese, sausage, and bacon are saturated-fat laden foods, so check the total sat fat when shopping to keep meals to ⪯ 7g and muffins and sides to ⪯ 3.5g.
- Lots of Added Sugar: Muffins and oatmeals often have added sugar. A touch is fine, but you don't want one that has brown sugar, honey, or other sweetener listed as one of the first few ingredients in the list.
How We Tested
Only frozen foods that met Cooking Light’s nutrition guidelines were tested. Products were eliminated based on the following: lack of calorie and/or protein adequacy, lack of whole grains, presence of trans fat or hydrogenation, presence of significant added sugars, and presence of artificial coloring or sweeteners. All frozen foods were cooked according to package directions and taste tested by a panel of Cooking Light editors and staff. To ensure consistency, Breville microwaves were used to cook all foods.