20 Healthy Choice Frozen Meals, Ranked Worst To Best
A staple in the frozen entrees aisle, Healthy Choice frozen meals have been gracing grocery stores and microwaves since 1989. The meals have come a long way over the years, evolving from classic cafe steamers to a more diverse product line of power bowls, zero meals, plated meals, and simply steamers. There for you when cooking isn't an option but you want something that's still relatively balanced and perhaps even low-calorie, Healthy Choice meals are available in abundance at most grocery stores — but which ones actually taste good?
Since there are so many Healthy Choice frozen dinners available out there, I've put together a ranking of some popular options to help pinpoint which ones are worth a zap in your microwave and which ones are best left in the frozen aisle. I've enjoyed countless frozen meals over the years, so I know how to pinpoint those that actually taste good and heat up well versus those that are bland, lackluster, or turn to straight mush.
I'm basing my ranking mostly on how good the meal tastes and how well the elements of the meal heat from frozen as opposed to which ones are necessarily the healthiest choice, if you will. Though Healthy Choice meals are geared towards those who are likely looking for a "healthy" meal, what ultimately constitutes such a meal is subjective and personal to the one consuming it. So, for the sake of the ranking, we could argue that all of these Healthy Choice meals are healthy — but which ones taste the best? That's what this ranking will determine.
20. Balsamic Garlic Steak
As much as the idea of this plated balsamic garlic steak meal intrigued me, the execution was awful. Let's start with the steak, which was so incredibly tough that it was nearly impossible to chew through. The balsamic sauce did the steak absolutely no favors, adding an almost pungent, intensely acidic flavor as opposed to a balanced, sweet-tangy one.
The mashed potatoes presented a whole other disaster. I understand that one can only expect so much from frozen mashed potatoes, but I've never tasted any in my life that had such an awful flavor and texture. Grainy yet watery and lacking any garlic flavor (or flavor of any kind, for that matter), the mashed potatoes were terrible all-around. The green beans would have been fine had they not been smothered in that acidic sauce. So, needless to say, this was my least favorite Healthy Choice meal by far.
19. Verde Chicken
I quickly noticed that many of Healthy Choice's Zero meals featured cauliflower rice as a base, and some were more successful than others. The verde chicken meal is a great example of a very unsuccessful one, as there was almost nothing redeeming to be found here.
Some bites of cauliflower rice were chewy whereas others were hard (not still frozen, just hard). The chicken, bell pepper, and zucchini were lackluster and forgettable, and the whole thing was smothered in this overwhelming tomatillo sauce that tasted more strongly of cilantro than anything else, if that cilantro has been wilting away in your fridge for weeks on end. The potential was there for verde chicken, but this meal simply just didn't taste good.
18. Creamy Spinach and Tomato Linguini
I often find pasta-based frozen meals to be a safe bet, but this creamy spinach and tomato linguini meal sadly proved me wrong. The entire dish was super spinach forward — which isn't inherently a bad thing, but I wanted other flavor elements, like the tomatoes or creamy sauce, to shine through a little bit.
The pasta was strangely cut into small pieces in this meal, which made for a weird texture that was hard to overlook. Paired with a sauce that tasted like nothing besides spinach, this meal was just not enjoyable, unless you're a spinach super-fan or you particularly enjoy pasta with a strange, gummy texture.
17. Pesto Chicken Pasta
Another Healthy Choice pasta bowl, another failure, I fear. I will say that the pasta in this one was better than the linguini, but everything else was lackluster at best. The pesto tasted incredibly sharp and harsh, and nothing about the bowl felt particularly cohesive.
If there's one positive I can draw here, it's that the cherry tomatoes added a nice burst of freshness. The pasta didn't have a terrible texture, but somehow none of the sauce really clung to it, so there'd be bites of plain, barren pasta and others with huge clumps of that awful pesto sauce. Had the pesto tasted a little better, I would have liked this one a lot more, but as-is, this is not a frozen meal I'd ever purchase again.
16. Cajun-Style Chicken and Sausage
When a frozen meal that's meant to feature sausage as a main ingredient only includes a mere two slices of sausage, you know you're probably not in for a good time. While there was very little sausage to be found in Healthy Choice's Cajun-style chicken and sausage meal, there was a whole lot of other stuff — chicken, beans, an assortment of vegetables, cauliflower rice, and a Cajun sauce, and unfortunately, none of it was good.
This meal just couldn't decide what it wanted to be, which ultimately led to its downfall. The flavors were all over the place and the tastiest thing was the sausage, so it's a shame that there was so little of it. On top of all that, the cauliflower rice was just so unnecessary, adding a certain texture to the bowl that was neither welcome nor appreciated.
15. Pineapple Chicken
This pineapple chicken meal follows a formula very common in Healthy Choice's repertoire: rice base, chicken, a handful of veggies, and a sweet sauce. Though I didn't absolutely hate this meal, there really wasn't a whole lot going on, and what little flavor it did have was overrun by a super-sweet pineapple sauce.
Obviously, this meal was going to taste somewhat like pineapple, but it tasted more like Healthy Choice had turned pineapple juice into a syrup, added it to the bowl, and called it a day. This meal was far too sweet for my liking, and there was nothing else in the bowl that could really curb or distract from that overwhelming pineapple juice flavor.
14. Four-Cheese Ravioli and Chicken Marinara
While the ravioli in this Healthy Choice meal wasn't terrible, it was dragged down considerably by a very confusing, watery, and bland sauce. I've never encountered a marinara sauce quite like this one in my life, one so incredibly liquidy and devoid of any real flavor — something that I just couldn't get past as I ate the meal.
The chicken was also incredibly forgettable and perhaps not quite so necessary in this meal. Overall, the meal felt pretty disjointed, and while I didn't hate the ravioli, the combination of sauce, pasta, chicken, and spinach just didn't mesh very well, making for more of a soupy mess than a cohesive ravioli dish.
13. Chicken Alfredo
It's hard to mess up chicken Alfredo, and for what it's worth, I thought that the flavor was okay in Healthy Choice's rendition. The problem really arose with the sauce, which was incredibly liquidy, something that I quickly learned seems to be the standard for Healthy Choice meals.
Certain pieces of chicken were also strangely gummy in this one, which was far from appetizing. The pasta itself was okay, a little chewy, but nothing egregious. The sauce tasted savory and creamy, but it just didn't coat the pasta or chicken, so it was more like eating penne pasta with chicken soup than a thick, cohesive chicken Alfredo.
12. Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry
There's something about the simplicity of this chicken and vegetable stir-fry that really worked to its advantage. The pieces of chicken were pretty tender, the vegetables were vibrant and tasted somewhat fresh, and the sauce was balanced flavor-wise, tasting a bit sweet, a bit salty, and a bit nutty thanks to the addition of sesame.
Though I thought everything tasted okay in this meal, the liquidy sauce was a big drawback. If this meal had some sort of starch, like rice, to help sop up the sauce, it likely would've ranked higher, but as-is, this meal was forgettable at best and far too soupy.
11. Creamy Marinara Chicken
While I consider Healthy Choice's creamy marinara chicken to be far more successful than the other plated meal on this list, the balsamic garlic steak, I still had some grievances. The orzo seemed like a complete afterthought and was quite gummy. While the sauce wasn't bad, it really just tasted like tomato sauce, and I'm not sure where the creamy aspect was supposed to factor in.
The chicken itself was surprisingly somewhat juicy, but overall bland and topped with a sauce that was also mostly bland. There was nothing particularly offensive about this meal, but it also didn't feature any elements to make it memorable.
10. Mediterranean-Style Shrimp
Shrimp is a protein that freezes and reheats pretty well, so if there was one saving grace to this Mediterranean-style shrimp power bowl, it was the shrimp itself. Everything else about the bowl was a bit busy, and while no flavors necessarily clashed, they didn't necessarily go well together, either.
This meal was supposed to feature a lemon oregano sauce, but I wasn't able to taste it at all. So it was essentially just a bowl with grains, shrimp, and some random veggies, which doesn't make for a horrible meal, but it also doesn't make for a particularly good or inspired one, either. I didn't hate it, I didn't love it — another middle-ground meal that I would be very unlikely to repurchase.
9. General Tso's Spicy Chicken
Following that rice-chicken-veggies-sweet sauce formula, I found Healthy Choice's general Tso's spicy chicken meal to be a more successful iteration. The sauce was less liquidy than in some other meals, and it really did taste reminiscent of the sauce you might get from ordering takeout — a little bit sweet, salty, and tangy.
The chicken and veggies were fine in this one, but they weren't anything special. The sauce really carried this meal, but it wasn't really spicy, unfortunately. It was a tad bit more on the sweet side, but since it wasn't so incredibly liquidy, I found myself favoring this meal much more than others.
8. Carne Asada
At first glance, I figured Healthy Choice's carne asada Zero meal would be far too busy, like so many others out there. And, to be fair, there was a lot going on here, but it somehow worked better than some other options, with no opposing or oddball flavors in the mix.
I think the biggest success was the meat itself, which was pretty tender. The beef also paired well with the pieces of bell pepper and squash, making this feel almost like a fajitas type of meal, and the ancho chile sauce worked well in tying all of the ingredients and flavors together.
7. Beef Teriyaki
Healthy Choice really hit a sweet spot with this beef teriyaki meal, pretty much nailing the rice-veggie-sauce approach, but this time with beef as the star protein. The sweet teriyaki sauce really worked well here, perfectly pairing with the beef, veggies, and rice. Yes, the sauce was runny, but the rice really helped to absorb it.
The beef itself is really the star of the show here. The thinly-sliced strips were tender, and they paired really nicely with the vegetables. Overall, this meal struck a nice combination of tasting good and feeling cohesive, but I'm only ranking it so high because that sauce ultimately was quite runny.
6. Spaghetti and Meatballs
Spaghetti and meatballs — it's such a comfort classic, and in my experience, it translates pretty well in frozen form. I'm happy to report that Healthy Choice's spaghetti and meatballs didn't let me down, though I will admit that it'd be nearly impossible to do so, considering this meal is about as simple as it gets.
The pasta itself had a nice texture, the tomato sauce was plain but tasty, and the meatballs were nice and savory (I only wish there were more of them). Was this meal anything special? Of course not, but it was comforting and it tasted pretty good, so other than it being a bit plain, I have no complaints.
5. Crustless Chicken Pot Pie
Have you ever enjoyed a chicken pot pie and really wished it didn't have a flaky crust? Probably not, but alas, here were are, confronted with Healthy Choice's crustless chicken pot pie. I ultimately understand the decision to go crustless, and for what it's worth, I thought this meal was pretty tasty, sans crust.
To make up for the crust, there are dumplings throughout the pot pie, and those are the most forgettable feature here. The medley of chicken and veggies is what really worked, along with that savory, gravy-like sauce that's so essential to a pot pie. I found this meal cozy and comforting, and just tasty enough to break into the top five on this list.
4. Mexican-Style Street Corn
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Healthy Choice's Mexican-style street corn meal, but like so many others on this list, I think simplicity is what made this one such a success. The medley of corn, black beans, and bell pepper slices worked really well together, with the corn adding a nice touch of sweetness and a certain fresh flair, despite having been frozen.
Meanwhile, the sauce also really took this meal over the edge. Limey and a bit cilantro-forward, the sauce was nice and thick (fortunately) and it coated all of the ingredients very well. Did this meal actually taste anything like Mexican street corn, elote, esquites, or anything in that ballpark? Not really, but it still shines in its own right, offering up a cozy meal from simple and unsuspecting ingredients.
3. Beef Merlot
There's such a simplicity to Healthy Choice's beef merlot that really allows the meal to shine. We're talking super simple: beef strips, potatoes, carrots, and green beans, all tossed in a merlot sauce. Everything meshes really well in this meal, so uncomplicated as it may be, it hits the spot.
Something I really enjoyed about this meal was the savory merlot sauce. It really did taste like red wine, with a rich undertone that was quite delicious. And, for once, the sauce wasn't too runny. Paired with tender beef and surprisingly crisp veggies, this meal is a classic and a winner, and one that I would repurchase.
2. Korean-Style Beef
So many of Healthy Choice's power bowls feature a mix of ingredients that have no real cohesion, but the Korean-style beef bowl is an exception. I found this bowl to be loaded with nothing but delicious goodies; from the beef itself to the medley of grains, veggies, and sauce, this Korean-style bowl was tasty and satisfying.
There are a few key components that made this bowl work. First, the beef itself was tender and tasty. Second, the grain and vegetable mix made sense, featuring an even dispersion of rice, quinoa, barley, carrots, and my personal favorite, mushrooms. Finally, the gochujang soy sauce really made this meal something special; while it wasn't particularly spicy, it did have a nice, soy sauce-forward taste that meshed well with all other ingredients.
1. Buddha Bowl
If there's one meal on this list that I was not expecting to like nearly as much as I did, it would be the buddha bowl. I had concerns that this bowl would be overwhelmed by too many ingredients, like many of the other power bowls on the list, but I was proven very wrong. This buddha bowl was pretty loaded, but everything worked together so well, from the grain base, to the inclusion of chickpeas and broccoli, all the way to the sesame tahini sauce on top.
Speaking of the sauce, I'd argue that's what really set this meal apart from the rest. It wasn't like those syrupy sauces that are in so many other Healthy Choice meals, and frozen meals in general; it was a thick and rich sauce, one that coated everything nicely and had a true tahini texture once warmed up. The sauce also added a savory, slightly nutty flavor profile to the bowl as a whole, and the level of cohesion that this buddha bowl managed to pull off left me super impressed. This was one bowl where I had no complaints and felt that every ingredient tasted good and played its role well, hence why the buddha power bowl made for an easy first place choice.
Methodology
Since most Healthy Choice meals fall into a similar range when it comes to nutritional value, I was more focused on how each meal tasted as opposed to caloric breakdown or how full any one meal made me feel. Also, each meal required a very similar heating method, typically about five minutes in the microwave, so ease of preparation is not something that I factored in either.
When focusing on how good each meal tasted, I noticed that many of them lacked cohesion, which made me favor them far less than those that I found cohesive. Meals that I found cohesive were those that had ingredients that all worked well together and tasted good in the same bite, like with the Korean-style beef or beef merlot. Others, like the Cajun-style chicken and sausage, loaded on too many ingredients and flavor profiles, which made the meal feel too messy and like it didn't mesh well as a whole.
I also paid attention to meals that had particularly tasty sauces, standout ingredients, or anything that really worked well or felt unique. Also, the quality of the meat varied across meals, so those that had more tender selections were ranked higher, whereas those with really tough meat (balsamic garlic steak) or particularly bland meat were not favored.