Best Frozen Dinners

Microwaving for One Can Be Tasty, Nutritious

Frozen dinners set a seemingly impossible standard for themselves. We expect fresh, nutritious meals that taste as good as their freshly prepared counterparts, and we don't want to wait too long for the microwave to ring. Gratefully, there are a few frozen dinners that not only meet this standard, but are usually more reasonably priced than their competitors.

At the top of the list is Budget Gourmet and its diet counterpart, Lean Gourmet. If you have avoided these frozen entrées because they weren't name-brand enough for you, then it's time to chuck image in favor of taste. The flavor is excellent, and these telltale blue boxes eschew the excessive packaging that other frozen dinners seem to insist on. Also missing are the common annoyances, such as little plastic packages of stuff to sprinkle or pour. Simply follow the directions and a few minutes later, you have a good dinner that isn't off the charts on sodium or fat content.

For many folks, it isn't just that a frozen dinner is fast, but portable, too. If you're trying to eat and work at the same time, try Hot Pockets or their dietary counterpart, Lean Pockets. The lean pockets particularly have less salt and fat than many other frozen entrées, and the flavors are perfect for anyone who has tired of the traditional chicken-and-vegetables diet fare. Both lines now have special "Subs" flavors, too, with specially baked bread that manages to provide a good imitation of sandwich shop bread.

Since most frozen dinners are made just for one (or for a party of 30), couples wishing for that same kind of simplicity often end up buying two dinners. Safeway, however, has come out with frozen dinners for two that are perfectly proportioned and low in salt and fat, through its Eating Right brand of frozen dinners a deux. Again, if you are under the impression that every frozen entrée must begin with the word "Stouffer's" or "Banquet," you'll be in for a sweet surprise. Entrées like (a very good) meat loaf or cashew chicken provide a great dinner at a reasonable price on the nights neither one of you wants to cook.