5 Best Frozen Foods Without Junk Ingredients, According to Chefs
A good frozen meal can save the day. Whether you’re running out the door and don’t have time for breakfast or you’re exhausted when you come home after a busy day and don’t feel like cooking, grabbing something from the freezer and having a tasty meal is unbeatable. However, not all frozen meals deserve to be in your cart. Many options in the freezer aisle are packed with long ingredient lists, preservatives, added sugars, and sodium that can turn a quick meal into something less than nourishing. The good news is that there are plenty of frozen options made with simple, recognizable ingredients that chefs actually keep in their own kitchens. To help you sort through the choices, Eat This, Not That! turned to Rania Batayneh, MPH, home chef, recipe developer, nutritionist and author of the bestselling book, The One One One Diet: The Simple 1:1:1 Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss. She shares her top five frozen meals made without junk ingredients.
Incredifulls Pizza Cupcake
Incredifulls Pizza Cupcakes are a novelty pizza snack that’s quick, portable, and fun to eat, with a softer bakery-style dough than typical frozen pizza bites. Plus, it’s a healthier alternative, according to Batayneh. “Incredifulls takes a more thoughtful approach to frozen pizza snacks with its chef-crafted Pizza Cupcakes, offering a better-for-you frozen option and an easy solution for busy parents that kids actually love,” she explains. “Each Pizza Cupcake delivers classic pizza flavor with imported Italian tomatoes and premium mozzarella baked inside a brioche and sourdough crust.” She adds, “The brand focuses on ingredient quality and transparency, using real, wholesome ingredients and avoiding artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. The pizza cupcakes feature mozzarella made with milk from cows not treated with rBST, along with uncured pepperoni made without added nitrates or nitrites.”
Bakr Cookie Dough
Baking cookies is a beloved ritual in countless households, and Bakr Cookie Dough makes it easy to enjoy the experience with a little less guilt. “Bakr Cookie Dough stands out in the frozen dessert aisle by focusing on simple, recognizable ingredients,” says Batayneh. “While many frozen cookie dough products rely on long ingredient lists that include preservatives, artificial flavors, hydrogenated oils, and highly refined sweeteners, Bakr takes a more straightforward approach.” She explains,”Made with pantry-style ingredients like real butter and cane sugar, the dough delivers the rich flavor and texture people expect from a freshly baked cookie without relying on unnecessary additives. This ingredient-first approach helps Bakr stand out among frozen cookie dough options for shoppers looking for simpler recipes and bakery-quality results at home.” According to Batayneh, “Bakr delivers convenience without compromise. The dough can go straight from the freezer to the oven or air fryer and be ready in about 11 minutes, making it easy to bake just a few cookies at a time whenever the craving hits.”
Evergreen Waffles
Evergreen Waffles combine convenience with health-conscious ingredients and creative flavors that feel more like homemade breakfast than typical frozen waffles. “Evergreen offers a more ingredient-conscious take on a frozen breakfast staple without sacrificing flavor,” says Batayneh. “The brand focuses on simple, recognizable ingredients, using 100% whole grains, avocado oil instead of seed oils, and a short ingredient list with no artificial flavors or preservatives. In fact, Evergreen’s Blueberry Thick & Fluffy waffles contain about half the ingredients of the leading frozen waffle brand’s Thick & Fluffy Blueberry flavor, while featuring real wild blueberries and a straightforward ingredient list families can feel good about.” Batayneh explains, “Their full line also includes hidden veggies, adding extra nutrition in a way that still delivers the familiar flavor and texture kids expect from waffles. Evergreen’s new Thick & Fluffy waffle line was created for bigger appetites and is an option the whole family can enjoy, offering a larger waffle with a golden, crisp exterior and a soft, fluffy interior. While the texture feels nostalgic and homestyle, the ingredient profile reflects a more thoughtful approach to frozen breakfast foods with whole grains, real ingredients, and balanced nutrition in every serving.”
Woodstock Farms Organic Frozen Diced Avocado
Avocados can be tricky—they ripen quickly and often go bad before you use them. Frozen diced avocado solves that problem. You can keep a bag in the freezer and use exactly what you need for smoothies, bowls, or toast without worrying about spoilage. Batayneh recommends Woodstock Farms Organic Frozen Diced Avocado because the brand is a standout. “The organic avocados are harvested at peak ripeness, washed, diced, and quickly frozen to help lock in their natural flavor and nutrients until you’re ready to use them,” she says. “Because the avocado is already peeled and diced, it takes the prep work out of using fresh avocados,” Batayneh explains. “Add the frozen cubes directly to smoothies for creaminess, blend into dressings, or thaw slightly to toss into bowls and salads. Made with just one ingredient. Organic avocado. There are no artificial colors or flavors, making it a simple and versatile freezer staple.”
Chef Bombay Mini Butter Chicken Empanadas
People love Chef Bombay Mini Butter Chicken Empanadas because they pack the rich, creamy flavor of butter chicken into a convenient, bite-sized snack. The filling—made with chicken, tomatoes, yogurt, garlic, ginger, and warm spices—is wrapped in naan-style dough that turns crisp on the outside while staying soft and savory inside. The result is a freezer-friendly appetizer that delivers bold flavor in just a few bites. “The filling features halal-certified chicken simmered with tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, yogurt, butter, and warming spices inspired by traditional Indian cooking,” says Batayneh.”Each bite is wrapped in a pastry made with enriched wheat flour, yogurt, and butter that bakes up golden while keeping the savory butter chicken filling warm and flavorful inside.” She adds, “Made with recognizable ingredients like chicken, mozzarella cheese, potatoes, yogurt, cream, and spices, these empanadas offer a restaurant-inspired take on butter chicken in a fun, freezer-friendly format. A serving of four empanadas delivers 27 grams of protein, making them a hearty appetizer worth sharing.”