Frozen meals offer convenience, but many are highly processed and high in carbohydrates. For those following a ketogenic diet, finding suitable frozen meals requires careful label reading. This article explores a variety of keto-friendly frozen meal options, considering net carb content, ingredient quality, availability, and taste.
Understanding Keto and Frozen Meals
The ketogenic diet emphasizes high fat, moderate protein, and very low carbohydrate intake, typically aiming for 20-50 grams of net carbs per day. Frozen meals can be a convenient option for those on a keto diet, but it's essential to choose wisely due to the potential for hidden carbs and processed ingredients. Their high salt content may also be an issue if you have high blood pressure. It’s a good idea to limit the number of frozen meals you eat because These meals are often highly processed and high in salt, and they have been linked to weight gain and chronic conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Overall, it’s best to eat frozen meals only occasionally, when you need a quick and convenient option.
Evaluating Keto-Friendly Frozen Meals
When selecting keto-friendly frozen meals, several factors should be considered:
Net Carbs: Each of the products contains 9 or fewer grams of net carbs - total carbohydrates minus fiber.
Ingredient Quality: The best options are minimally processed, free of additives and preservatives, and may be made with organic produce or high-quality meats like grass-fed beef, organic chicken, or wild-caught seafood. Some options may contain preservatives or lower quality ingredients, but these meals tend to be less expensive and more widely available.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Availability: Some dishes can be ordered online, but many are available at your local grocery store.
Top Keto-Friendly Frozen Meal Choices
Here's a detailed look at some of the best keto-friendly frozen meals available, categorized for various preferences:
Best Overall: Five One Eight Kitchen Steak Chili with Refried ‘Beans’
This hearty chili is made with grass-fed beef, bacon, onions, peppers, and "beans" made from eggplant. It’s served with scallions and cauliflower rice and contains 9 grams of net carbs per 10-oz (275-gram) serving. Five One Eight specializes in keto and low-carb frozen meals, offering a variety of options, including strict keto meals and more moderately low-carb items. All meals from this brand are minimally processed and made with high-quality proteins such as grass-fed beef, making them a great choice for keto eaters who want to avoid more processed options.
Best Paleo-Friendly: Primal Kitchen Chicken Pesto Bowl
This paleo frozen meal features cage-free chicken and vegetables in a light pesto sauce, containing 5 grams of net carbs per 10-oz (284-gram) serving. The paleo diet excludes grains, legumes, and dairy, focusing on unprocessed meats, fruits, and vegetables. Primal Kitchen offers other low-carb meals, but the Chicken Pesto Bowl is the only dish that has fewer than 10 grams of net carbs per serving.
Best Tex-Mex: Realgood Foods Co. Real Beef Enchiladas
Realgood offers a variety of keto-friendly frozen meals, including enchiladas made with high-quality ingredients and free of highly processed additives. The Real Beef Enchiladas contain 2 grams of net carbs per 2 enchiladas (133 grams). Realgood also makes other convenient, keto-friendly Tex-Mex options, such as chicken enchiladas and crispy shell tacos.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Best with Chicken: Realgood Foods Co. Creamy Spinach Artichoke Chicken
In addition to enchiladas, Realgood makes stuffed chicken breast entrees at a lower price. The Creamy Spinach Artichoke Chicken features a Parmesan crust and creamy spinach and artichoke stuffing, containing 1 gram of net carbs per piece (142 grams), or 4 grams total. However, some reviewers say the texture can be mushy, especially after microwaving.
Best Pizza: Quest Thin Crust Uncured Pepperoni Pizza
This option from Quest is a great choice if you’re looking for an easy, keto-friendly frozen pizza. It’s high in fiber, so you can eat half the pizza without loading up on net carbs. It contains 7 grams of net carbs per half pizza (162 grams). Quest also offers supreme and cheese pizza options.
Best for Breakfast: Jimmy Dean Steak & Cheddar Simple Scrambles
Although it contains several processed ingredients, this meal from Jimmy Dean provides a hearty, protein-packed breakfast made up of steak, eggs, and cheese. It contains 3 grams of net carbs per 5-oz (151-gram) serving. Many other Jimmy Dean Simple Scrambles and Egg'wiches are also keto-friendly.
Best Bowl: Healthy Choice Power Bowl Chicken Marinara with Cauliflower Rice
This meal from Healthy Choice features chicken, vegetables, and cauliflower rice in marinara sauce with Parmesan cheese. It contains 5 grams of net carbs per 9-oz (262-gram) serving. Keep in mind that it contains some processed ingredients. Healthy Choice also offers other keto-friendly options in its Power Bowl lineup, like Basil Pesto Chicken and Cajun Style Chicken and Sausage, both made with riced cauliflower to keep the carbs low.
Best Pasta Alternative: Healthy Choice Simply Steamers Grilled Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
This Healthy Choice product features grilled chicken and broccoli in an Alfredo cream sauce. Since it does not contain pasta, it’s an excellent low carb alternative to frozen fettuccine Alfredo meals, containing 4 grams of net carbs per container (259 grams). Notably, some keto-friendly options in the Healthy Choice Simply Steamers line are made with fewer processed ingredients than other Healthy Choice products.
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Best High Protein: Life Cuisine Keto Friendly Cheese Lovers Pizza
This Life Cuisine pizza contains four kinds of cheese on a personal-size thin crust. It’s available at many grocery stores. This product contains some additives and is highly processed, but it has 30 grams of protein, so it would likely be very filling. It contains 7 grams of net carbs per 6-oz (170-gram) serving.
Best with Pork: Atkins Pork Verde
Atkins offers several widely available keto-friendly frozen meals. Although they’re not made with the highest quality ingredients, they’re free of artificial additives. This product features pulled pork, bell peppers, and onions in green salsa with Monterey jack cheese and contains 8 grams of net carbs per 9-oz (255-gram) serving.
Best Vegetarian: Stouffer’s Classics Spinach Soufflé
This dish, which is made of spinach creamed with milk and cheese, is a solid vegetarian option. Still, it contains some processed ingredients and contains 8 grams of net carbs per 1/2-cup (115-gram) serving. To boost the protein and fat content, you can stir in a beaten egg and heat it for an extra 30 seconds in the microwave.
Brands to Look For
If you’re looking to shop quickly in your local store without having to study each label, your best bet is to stick to brands like Atkins, Realgood, and Quest. These brands are widely available, and all their products are low in net carbs. If you’re ordering online, Carb-Wise options from Performance Kitchen or keto options from Five One Eight Kitchen are great choices.
Additional Keto-Friendly Frozen Food Options
Beyond complete meals, several frozen food items can be incorporated into a keto diet:
- Meat Products: Joe Duff, also known as YouTube's Diet Chef, recommends Applegate breakfast sausage (chicken and maple have 2 carbs per 3 sausages, while the turkey ones have just one carb per 3 links of sausage) and Steak-umm sliced steaks (100% beef with no fillers).
- Vegetables: Duff also covers a number of Green Giant vegetable sides, including cauliflower rice (2 grams of carbs per serving), and zucchini noodles (1 net carb per portion).
- Bone Broth: Bonafide's chicken bone broth is a zero-carb option.
Tips for Incorporating Frozen Meals into a Keto Diet
- Read Labels Carefully: Always check the nutrition labels for net carb content. Many frozen meals are high in carbs, even if they seem keto-friendly.
- Consider Ingredient Quality: Opt for meals with minimally processed ingredients and high-quality proteins.
- Limit Frequency: Eat frozen meals occasionally, prioritizing fresh, whole foods whenever possible.
- Add Healthy Fats: Supplement meals with healthy fats like avocado, nuts, or olive oil to meet your keto macronutrient goals.
Addressing Common Questions
- Can I have Quest pizza on keto? Yes, you can have Quest pizza on keto. However, an entire Quest frozen pizza has 12 grams of net carbs, so you may need to limit your portion size to stay within your daily carb limit.
- Are Lean Cuisines keto-friendly? Most Lean Cuisine meals are not keto-friendly. However, the related brand Life Cuisine offers a number of low carb options and one keto-friendly pizza option.
- Can you lose weight with frozen food? Yes, as long as you are limiting your calorie intake. However, this may be difficult with frozen meals. They are often highly processed, and highly processed foods have been linked to weight gain and chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s a good idea to both count calories and stick to less processed options like those from Five One Eight.
Other Options
Palinski-Wade likes the Healthy Choice brand of steamed meals because a few varieties are low enough in carbs to fit perfectly into the keto lifestyle-like this chicken and broccoli alfredo meal, which is an ultra-creamy way to get a massive protein boost (27 grams!). Having trouble eating enough keto-compliant vegetables? Look no further than these veggie cakes, which are packed with superfood veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, and kale. “You can easily microwave these produce-packed ‘cakes’ and enjoy them as a keto-friendly snack or paired with a Morning Star Farms Grillers Original burger for a low carb, plant-based keto meal,” suggests Palinski-Wade. Speaking of veggie burgers, the Morning Star brand is a lean, mean way to check both protein and produce off your list. With only four grams of net carbs and 16 grams of protein, these are a total freezer must-have. One serving (one half of the 'za) of this thin-crust delight nets you only six carbs and a whopping 27 grams of protein. Gluten-free tortillas make these enchiladas low-carb enough for lunch or dinner. Thanks to the chicken, there’s 20 grams of protein, and they won’t max you out on sugar or saturated fat, either. Made with antibiotic- and hormone-free beef, these low-carb meatballs are technically marketed to kids…but we won’t tell if you won’t (and you’ll be too busy stuffing your face with these protein-packed little numbers to say anything). Forget low-carb-how about no-carb? Salmon is a hearty fish that pairs well with a lot of keto-friendly meals, and these frozen fillets make it super easy to whip up a meal rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids without all the carbs. This sustainably sourced trout is also high in vitamin B and protein (23 grams!), but it only nets you out at two carbs. The salsa verde dinner, with kale and herbs, won’t leave you looking for flavor, either. In the mood for an adventurous meal? This medium-hot Indian dish loaded with vitamin-rich spinach and protein-heavy chicken will satisfy your cravings without overloading you on carbs (only four per serving), which means you have enough to spare for a dollop of keto-approved sour cream, too. One of the best parts of going keto is not having to give up cheese, right? There’s no shortage of the good stuff in this chicken cordon bleu (hello Swiss and Monterey jack), not to mention an extra protein boost from the ham stuffed inside the chicken breast-all for six net carbs per serving. Are you a fish fan? Palinski-Wade says these frozen fillets can be baked or grilled for a low-carb meal that pairs perfectly with a garden salad or steamed vegetables. You’ll fall in love with the sweet and spicy tropical chutney-plus, these fillets are a good source of lean protein and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. “Sausage is keto-friendly, but it can be loaded with saturated fat and sodium,” says Palinski-Wade. “These frozen chicken sausages are just as low in carbs with less saturated fat.” She recommends pairing them with scrambled eggs or slicing them to be added into stir frys or other favorite dishes to simplify your meal prep. Need some umami in your life? TJ’s has got you covered with their shiitake mushroom chicken dinner, which promises rich, earthy flavor without any carb overload. This one’s also high in protein but low in saturated fat and sugar. At just five net carbs per serving, you could totally pair this stuffed chicken breast with another low-carb side for a filling meal. Plus there’s broccoli in it, so you’re eating extra veggies, too. You really can’t go wrong here. If your biggest complaint about frozen foods is that they’re too bland, one bite of the basil-pesto cream sauce in this chicken and veggie dish will convert you. It’s loaded with fiber-rich veggies, too, so it’s a win-win all around. Need a comfort food fix? Run out and buy Lean Cuisine’s steak portabella meal, which is not only rich and savory but boasts a keto-friendly nutrition label, too: eight net carbs, 18 grams of protein, and only two grams of sugar and saturated fat. Yes, stir fry is a frozen meal staple-but with five different colorful veggies and enough lean protein to meet 40 percent of your daily recommended intake (no easy goal on the protein-high keto diet), there’s nothing boring about this version. All hail cauliflower crust for letting keto dieters eat pizza for dinner (or lunch…or breakfast, no judgement). This crust is totally grain-free-so no added rice flour or cornstarch-and the topping is packed with veggies, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese. At only six net carbs per serving, you can easily eat it alongside a serving of grilled chicken or lean sausage. Trader Joe’s Premium Salmon Burgers a pan-fried salmon burger served over a bed of kale makes a yummy protein-rich meal you’ll come back to over and over again (especially when you realize there’s only three net carbs per burger). Trader Joe’s Crab Cakes They have only three net carbs and zero saturated fat, but 13 whole grams of protein.
RealGood Foods Co.
Before you dig into a RealGood frozen meal, you should always read the box. They’re made with weird things you would never expect to consume. For instance: This “lasagna bowl” is made with thin slices of chicken in lieu of pasta. It’s not bad or gross-unless you thought you were eating some sort of pasta concept and then it’s like whuuuuuut is happening. But once I knew about the deli chicken-adjacent pasta sheets, I was okay with them! This is watery out of the microwave-you have to bail out the bowl a little-but the sauce tastes nice and there’s LOTS of ricotta in the mix, which we loved.
What to Avoid
Nothing sounds more depressing than a crustless pot pie. I mean, it’s not even really a pie anymore, it’s just creamy chicken soup. But once I got past the semantic shenanigans, I had to admit that this Atkins frozen meal is actually pretty good. It’s described as white meat chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, and carrots in a sherry and herb cream sauce. I couldn’t taste sherry or herbs in the sauce, but the veggies are nice and the chicken is surprisingly good for the format-firm and tasty rather than mushy or spongy. Is this the best thin crust pizza you’ll ever eat? No. The crust is pretty flavorless-but in the realm of low carb frozen pizza, flavorless is preferable to “bad flavor.” And I didn’t realize it until I started writing this up, but this pizza is totally flourless! The crust is made with milk protein, etc. and, frankly, when you look at it that way, it’s really good. It’s crackery but not stiff. The cheese goes all the way to the edge of the crust so the crust isn’t the focus. The sauce is savory and there’s actually a decent amount of it. The pepperoni is good, too, but we couldn’t say the same for the sausage on the combination version of this low carb pizza pie. This low carb frozen meal-grilled white meat chicken, spinach, tomatoes, and basil in a balsamic sauce with mozzarella cheese-is a little cheesy, very saucy, and full of spinach and chicken. It’s got some herbaceous notes, too-oregano and other pizza-leaning spices that make it taste like a pizza bowl, but less greasy and disgusting. I’ve complained a lot in recent rankings about beef and steak in frozen meals. Unless it’s ground, like a Salisbury steak, beef is typically really dreadful in frozen dinners-dry, chewy, and flavorless. I don’t know if this goes for all Atkins frozen meals, but the beef in this particular low carb frozen dinner is surprisingly good. This actually looks and eats like stew beef. Plus, this meal has a lot of broccoli, and the sauce is brown, savory, and tastes just a touch like cooking wine. Healthy Choice Chicken & Broccoli Simply Seamers, Healthy Choice Power Bowls Greek Chicken, Healthy Choice Power Bowls Spicy Beef Teriyaki, Atkins Cheesy Chicken Risotto, Life Cuisine Meat Lovers Cauliflower Bowl, RealGood Foods Co.