First-time shoppers comparing portions
If a meal is for one person, check whether the calorie figure covers the whole pack or only a stated serving. The serving count matters when comparing packs of different sizes.
Who should check what?
Shoppers relying on a microwave
Check that the exact frozen meal has microwave instructions for your appliance. Wattage, stirring and standing directions can differ between products.
Shoppers checking salt or ingredients
Compare salt as well as calories, and read the ingredients and highlighted allergens on the exact pack if you have a dietary exclusion.
What matters when choosing a frozen meal?
Start with the amount you expect to eat, then compare nutrition labels and preparation directions on that basis.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Calories and portion | Check kcal per pack or stated serving, the number of servings and the pack weight. Compare meals using the amount you would actually eat. | I want to know the calories in my meal, not just in 100g of a larger pack. |
| Salt and other nutrition | Compare salt and saturated fat on the same per-100g basis for similar meals; also check the amount in the pack. Use traffic-light labelling where supplied as a comparison aid. | A lower calorie figure is useful to me, but I also want to compare the salt in the portion I will eat. |
| Cooking method | Confirm whether the frozen meal can be cooked in your microwave or oven. Follow the pack's wattage, timing, stirring and standing directions. | If I only have a microwave, the meal needs instructions that work with it. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the exact pack's ingredients, highlighted allergens and any relevant cross-contact information. | I need to check the actual recipe rather than assume every meal in a range has the same ingredients. |
Common mistakes to avoid
-
Treating front-of-pack phrases as equivalent
“Calorie controlled” and “high protein” describe different things. Neither phrase gives the full nutrition picture for a particular meal.
Check kcal for the amount you will eat, then read the salt, saturated fat, ingredients and allergen information.
-
Comparing per-100g calories with per-pack calories
Those figures describe different amounts of food, so the comparison can obscure how many calories you would eat.
Check the serving count and compare both meals on a whole-pack basis if you plan to eat each pack in full.
-
Overlooking salt in a lower-calorie meal
The NHS identifies ready meals as one source of salt in packaged foods. A calorie figure does not show how much salt the meal contains.
Compare similar meals per 100g, then check the salt total for the amount you intend to eat.
-
Skipping the pack and cooking directions
Ingredients and preparation methods vary by product; an online range description cannot establish either for every meal.
Read the exact pack for allergens and follow its instructions for cooking from frozen, including stirring or standing where specified.
Retailer ranges to consider
These retailer ranges are starting points for browsing, not a guarantee that every frozen meal has a particular calorie total.
Tesco
Tesco lists a frozen Under 500cal Meals category alongside individually labelled calorie-controlled meals.
- Tesco Groceries lists its 350g Cottage Pie at 237 kcal per pack and its 350g Health Chicken Curry and Rice at 293 kcal per pack.
- Check salt, ingredients and allergens for the individual meal; a category ceiling is not a complete nutrition assessment.
Iceland
Iceland lists Slimming World frozen meals and a MyProtein ready-meal range.
- The ranges give shoppers specific product lines to browse.
- Do not assume every meal in either range has a particular calorie total; check its nutrition table and serving basis.
M&S
M&S lists frozen ready meals and separately describes lower-calorie options in its ready-meal range.
- Its frozen ready-meal range provides products to compare individually.
- Check that a lower-calorie option is frozen and confirm its calories on the individual product label.
Waitrose
Waitrose lists frozen ready meals and a separate healthier-ready-meals collection.
- Its frozen range provides individual meals whose labels can be compared.
- The separate collection does not establish a calorie threshold for the frozen range; check each product's portion and nutrition information.
Joybuy frozen meal option
This frozen dumpling option can be compared by pack size and calories, but its listing also presents it as a snack or side rather than a complete meal.
No image available
Itsu Chicken Gyoza, 12 Dinner Dumplings, 240g
The 240g pack contains 12 frozen dumplings and lists 200 kcal per 100g, which is 480 kcal if you eat the whole pack. The listing says they cook from frozen in 2 minutes but does not identify the appliance, so check the pack instructions. Contains soya and wheat; check the exact pack for allergen information and salt before choosing it.
Questions about choosing frozen meals
How should I compare calories in frozen ready meals?
Use the kcal figure for the whole pack or the portion you will actually eat. Tesco's frozen Under 500cal Meals category can help narrow a search, but check each product's serving count rather than treating the category name as its exact calorie value.
Should I choose the meal with the fewest calories?
Not on that figure alone. Compare portion size, salt, saturated fat and ingredients alongside calories; protein and fibre values can also be compared where listed. The NHS identifies ready meals as a source of salt in packaged foods.
How can I compare salt between meals?
Compare the per-100g values for similar products, then check how much salt is in the pack you will eat. For UK food labels, the NHS defines high salt as more than 1.5g per 100g and low salt as 0.3g or less per 100g.
Can I rely on an online listing for allergen information?
Check the exact physical pack's ingredients and highlighted allergens before eating, rather than relying only on an online listing. Iceland also advises shoppers to read the actual product label for allergen advice.
Can I microwave any frozen ready meal?
Only use a microwave if the exact pack provides that method. Check its wattage and cooking time, and follow any stirring and standing instructions; directions can differ between meals.