Cooks watching the fat in a pie-and-mash meal
A plain frozen vegetable bag lets you compare the side’s fat and saturates per 100g before deciding how to season it. The NHS recommends comparing nutrition per 100g when serving sizes differ.
Who is this choice for?
Families planning several meals
A 1kg plain mix can be portioned across pie night and other meals. ASDA and Sainsbury’s list 1kg mixed-vegetable bags; choose a pack size that fits your freezer and the portions you expect to use.
Weeknight pie-and-mash cooks
Frozen vegetables avoid peeling and chopping on the night. Check whether the particular bag calls for hob or microwave cooking, and follow its directions for cooking from frozen and serving piping hot.
What should you check?
Choose the vegetables you want alongside the pie, then compare the ingredients, nutrition and cooking directions of the exact packs you are considering.
Plain mixed vegetables
Choose when: You want several vegetables on the plate while deciding for yourself how to season them.
Bear in mind: The vegetables and cooking directions vary by pack; additions such as butter or oil change the finished side.
Plain peas
Choose when: You prefer a peas-only accompaniment to pie and mash.
Bear in mind: Peas do not give you the range of vegetables found in a mixed bag.
Buttered or seasoned vegetables
Choose when: The particular seasoning appeals to you and its label fits what you want from the meal.
Bear in mind: Added ingredients can raise fat or saturates; Ocado lists an M&S mint-butter vegetable selection at 5.0g fat and 3.4g saturates per 100g.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat and saturates | Compare similar products per 100g, as the NHS advises. Check fat and saturates as well as butter, oil, cream or sauce in the ingredients; the finished meal also depends on what you add. | I want to know what the vegetable side contributes before adding gravy or seasoning. |
| Vegetable mix | Check whether the bag contains peas alone, peas with another vegetable, or a broader mix. Look at the stated vegetables rather than assuming all mixed bags contain the same ones. | Peas would suit my usual pie-and-mash plate, but I might prefer carrots, broccoli or cauliflower alongside them. |
| Preparation | Check the pack’s hob or microwave directions, whether it says to cook from frozen, and the amount you intend to serve. | On a busy night, I want a side that works with the equipment and time I have. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredient and allergen information, especially for flavoured mixes. Follow the pack’s storage and cooking directions. | I want to check what has been added to the vegetables. Vypr’s January 2025 UK frozen-food report says 65% of consumers check frozen foods for preservatives, artificial flavours or additives; that figure does not measure allergen checking. |
What can change the finished side?
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Assuming every frozen vegetable product has similar nutrition
Plain mixes and prepared sides can differ substantially. ASDA, Sainsbury’s, M&S and Waitrose list plain examples with 0.6–0.7g fat and no more than 0.2g saturates per 100g, while Ocado lists an M&S buttered selection with 5.0g fat and 3.4g saturates per 100g. The products’ stated preparation bases differ.
Check the ingredients and compare the current labels per 100g before choosing a flavoured bag in place of a plain one.
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Comparing only the figures per portion
Pack serving sizes can differ, so portion figures alone may not compare like with like.
Use the per-100g nutrition to compare similar products, as the NHS advises, then use the serving information to plan your plate.
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Forgetting what goes on the vegetables at home
Butter, oil or a creamy sauce added after cooking changes the fat in the finished side, even when the bag contains only vegetables.
Cook according to the pack and decide how to season the vegetables before adding any fat.
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Relying on a familiar-looking ingredient list
A prepared mix can contain ingredients beyond the vegetables pictured on its pack. This matters particularly when someone eating the meal has an allergy or intolerance.
Check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen information each time you choose the product.
Brand and retailer references
These examples describe particular frozen-vegetable products or ranges, not the nutrition of everything sold under each name.
Birds Eye
Its Petits Pois offer a peas-only side for pie and mash; the brand also has mixed-vegetable formats.
- Sainsbury’s lists Birds Eye Petits Pois 960g at 0.7g fat and 0.1g saturates per 100g.
- Those figures describe the listed 960g product, not every Birds Eye pack or prepared vegetable side.
Tesco
Tesco lists several frozen mixed-vegetable formats, including Mixed Vegetables 1kg and Farmhouse Mixed Vegetables 1kg.
- The range gives shoppers different named mixes to consider alongside pie and mash.
- Check the nutrition and ingredients of the particular Tesco bag before comparing it with a plain mix elsewhere.
Sainsbury’s
The Stamford Street Mixed Vegetables 1kg bag contains carrot, cauliflower, peas and green beans.
- Sainsbury’s lists 0.6g fat and less than 0.1g saturates per 100g for this mix.
- Its vegetables differ from those in other mixed bags, so check the combination you want.
Asda
ASDA Mixed Vegetables 1kg contains carrots, peas, green beans and sweetcorn.
- ASDA lists 0.6g fat and 0.1g saturates per 100g boiled.
- Its directions say to cook from frozen until piping hot and not to reheat; follow the current pack.
M&S
The Frozen British Vegetable Medley combines broccoli, cauliflower, peas and Chantenay carrots.
- M&S lists 0.7g fat and 0.2g saturates per 100g for this 500g medley.
- Other M&S vegetable sides may include butter or seasoning; compare the exact product label.
Waitrose
Essential Frozen British Chunky Vegetable Mix contains cauliflower, broccoli and carrots.
- Waitrose lists 0.6g fat and 0.2g saturates per 100g for this mix.
- It contains no peas or sweetcorn, which may matter if you want either with your pie.
Joybuy options for the vegetable side
These Birds Eye frozen-vegetable options cover steam-bag mixes, petits pois and a peas-and-sweetcorn mix for a pie-and-mash side. Compare the current labels of individual packs when fat and saturates are central to your choice.
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Birds Eye Steamfresh Family Favourite Mix, 4 steam bags, 540g
A mixed-vegetable steam-bag option for the side. Check the current pack’s vegetable ingredients, nutrition per 100g and cooking directions when planning your pie-and-mash meal.
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Birds Eye Fresh Garden Mix steam bags, 4 pack, 540g
Consider this mixed-vegetable steam-bag pack if that preparation format suits your meal. Read its current ingredients, per-100g nutrition and cooking instructions before deciding.
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Birds Eye Petits Pois 545g
Choose a petits pois pack if you want peas rather than a vegetable mix with your pie and mash. Check this 545g pack’s own nutrition and cooking instructions rather than using figures from a different pack size.
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Birds Eye Peas and Sweetcorn Mixed Vegetables 640g
This pack combines peas and sweetcorn rather than a broader vegetable mix. Check its current ingredients, nutrition per 100g and pack directions for the side you intend to serve.
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Birds Eye Steamfresh Super Sunshine Mix, 4 steam bags, 540g
A mixed-vegetable steam-bag option for pie and mash. If comparing it with another bag, use fat and saturates on the same per-100g basis; check this pack’s label and cooking directions.
Questions about frozen vegetables
Do frozen vegetables count towards 5 A Day?
Yes. The NHS Eatwell Guide includes frozen fruit and vegetables among the forms that count towards its five-a-day advice. Check the pack for any product-specific portion statement.
How can I compare plain and buttered vegetables for pie and mash?
Compare fat and saturates per 100g and read the ingredients for butter, oil or sauce. The NHS recommends a per-100g comparison when serving sizes vary. The figures describe the product on the label, not any butter or gravy you add later.
How should I cook frozen vegetables for this meal?
Follow the directions on the particular bag. The listed ASDA plain mix says to cook from frozen until piping hot and not to reheat; do not assume every product has the same directions. Adding butter or oil during cooking also changes the finished side’s fat content.
Should I check allergens on a plain-looking vegetable pack?
Yes, especially if someone eating the meal has an allergy or intolerance. Check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen information rather than relying on its appearance or a previous purchase.