We Found the Best Frozen Meals Under 300 Calories

Low calorie foods aren’t the diet foods de jour. Folks are more interested in high protein foods or keto-friendly foods. But that doesn’t mean some of us aren’t still just a little bit stuck in the ‘90s, keeping an eye on calorie counts, looking for those hidden gems of low calorie foods that actually taste good. If that rings true to you, then this ranking is right up your alley. We tasted more than a dozen low calorie frozen meals and found the best ones to buy—yes, they actually, genuinely taste good. 

What we looked for in the best low calorie frozen meals

While we tasted a wide range of frozen meals—from fettuccine alfredo to chicken teriyaki—there were a few qualities we looked for in the best.

• Under 300 calories. We defined a low calorie frozen meal as having less than 300 calories. It’s not so low that you’re either eating nothing or cardboard, but still low enough.
• Satisfying amount. There has to be enough food to actually fill you up. Sneaky brands who tried to pass off a couple of bites of food off as a full meal were tossed aside. 
• Good flavor. Obviously a low cal frozen meal should taste good to be rated as one of the best. Duh. 

Whether you’re looking for a quick lunch to bring to work or a fast dinner that you don’t have to think about, here are the best frozen meals under 300 calories that really and truly taste good. 

Best Low Calorie Frozen Meals

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Best Low Calorie Bowl of Mush

Healthy Choice Power Bowls Italian Chicken Sausage & Peppers (270 Calories)

Healthy Choice

Uber Eats

This low cal grain bowl is a satisfying mix of stuff like barley, quinoa, chicken sausage chunks, and a whole slew of vegetables, all topped with spicy tomato sauce. The sausage is nicely fennelly, though it’s a bit dense and dry (probably because there’s not much fat in the mix). The sauce is genuinely spicy. And you really do get a ton of vegetables. It all blends into a bowl of mush but it’s a pretty darn good bowl of mush. It’s kinda like generic leftovers that someone has portioned out for you. In a good way.

Credit: Liv Averett / Healthy Choice

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Low Calorie Mac & Cheese

Amy’s Light Meals Macaroni & Cheese (290 Calories)

Amy’s Kitchen

Sprouts

This is shockingly good mac and cheese for a low calorie frozen meal. The noodles aren’t mushy. The cheese is flavorful (even if my colleague Gwynedd Stuart detected some fake butter flavor) and there’s definitely enough of it. Is it plain? Darn straight! You’d need to add some peas or broccoli to make this a bit more well-rounded. But it’s still one of the best low calorie frozen meals we tried. Plus, at 290 calories, it is 160 calories less than Amy’s regular frozen mac and cheese. That’s a big diff!

Credit: Liv Averett / Amy’s Kitchen

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Low Calorie “Tex-Mex” Meal

Caulipower Fajita Veggies & Chicken Bowl (210 Calories)

Caulipower

Instacart

This cauliflower-based bowl doesn’t really have much in common with a real platter of sizzling fajitas. Okay, maybe both use cumin. But that doesn’t stop it from being a super filling, tasty (if you like cumin) frozen meal—especially at just 210 calories. You get cauliflower rice, beans, peppers, and shredded chicken (the box says there’s cheese in the mix but I couldn’t detect any). If you’re willing to add a few more calories, it’d be really good with some Greek yogurt on top.

Credit: Liv Averett / Caulipower

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Low Calorie Simple Pasta

Lean Cuisine Fettuccine Alfredo (290 Calories)

Kroger

This super classic, basic pasta is super creamy. Like, crazy creamy for a 290 calorie frozen meal. It’s simple, for sure, but it’ll satisfy your alfredo cravings no problem. The noodles are just firm enough, and there’s plenty of sauce. Once again, here’s an opportunity to add some peas or broccoli and really step it up. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Kroger

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Low Calorie Full Pasta Meal

Healthy Choice Café Steamers Grilled Chicken Pesto with Vegetables (290 Calories)

Walmart

Healthy Choice’s line of Cafe Steamers are hit or miss. The chicken stir-fry we tried? Big miss. But this one is a hit. The pasta is nicely firm, no mush here. The zucchini is tender and flavorful. The chicken is fine (which is actually high praise for chicken in a low calorie frozen meal). And the sauce? It’s darn good pesto sauce. It really tastes like creamy basil—fresh basil, not dried basil. Someone really put a lot of love and care into this sauce.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Low Calorie Lasagna

Amy’s Light Meals Spinach Lasagna (240 Calories)

Amy’s Kitchen

Instacart

I’m not sure this really qualifies as a lasagna. There’s not a lot of cheese. Instead, you get good, firm, thick sheets of lasagna noodles layered with a pretty basic tomato sauce and lots of spinach. Lots and lots of spinach. Even though it lacks the cheesy decadence you typically get from lasagna, it’s a totally satisfying meal.

Credit: Liv Averett / Amy’s Kitchen

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Low Calorie “Asian” Meal

Amy’s Light Meals Sweet & Sour Asian Noodles (260 Calories)

Amy’s Kitchen

Instacart

Look, this low cal frozen meal from Amy’s tastes like a lot of the other frozen meals we’ve had over the years. It’s not breaking new ground, but it’s doing it better than most other companies. The noodles are al dente, the vegetables are flavorful (big points for the still crisp diced green beans), and the tofu is great. You get savory chunks of firm tofu that helps fill you up—and tastes better than most frozen chicken out there. The sauce? It tastes about like what you’d expect—sesame oil and tamari—but it still tastes great. This is definitely one of the best frozen low calorie meals to bring to the office for a not-so-sad desk lunch.  

Credit: Liv Averett / Amy’s Kitchen

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Saffron Road Chicken & Potatoes (250 Calories)

Kroger

Notice that I said the tofu in the previous frozen meal tastes much better than most frozen chicken? That’s because there are some exceptions, like this triumph of a low calorie meal. The big chunks of chicken in this Moroccan-inspired dish are tender and juicy. And they’re surrounded by little potato cubes in a thick, tomatoey red pepper sauce. It’s savory with a deep umami quality and just a hint of spice. None of us had ever had anything quite like this meal before, but we’ll definitely be having it again.

Credit: Liv Averett / Kroger

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other low calorie frozen meals we tried:

Healthy Choice Turkey Sausage Lasagna, Healthy Choice Balsamic Steak, Healthy Choice Simply Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry, Lean Cuisine Chicken Teriyaki, Amy’s Quinoa & Black Beans