7 Vegan Frozen Meals Nutritionists Love

Vegan frozen meals are a life-saving convenience for busy people, especially when following a plant-based diet. Considering that only 10% of Americans consume the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables and only 5% meet their recommended fiber goals, veggie-packed heat-and-eat meals are a good way to boost nutrient intake.

Fortunately, more vegan frozen meals are popping up from smaller plant-based brands as well as the larger, more traditional companies. Plus, some of the recipes are inspired by world cultures sure to please the palates of plant-based foodies.

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How to choose vegan frozen meals

One important factor to consider when shopping for vegan frozen meals is your personal nutrition needs and goals. Some offerings are higher in protein, others are higher in carbohydrates, fat, or sodium.

As a dietitian, I first look at the protein content, since it tends to be a more challenging nutrient to consume, especially for 100% plant-based folks. I usually recommend a minimum of 20 grams of protein per meal, something less common to achieve strictly from a frozen entrée due to their smaller portion sizes. It’s easy to boost the protein content by adding in some canned beans, soy (e.g, tofu, edamame, tempeh, or a glass of soymilk), nuts, seeds, or whole grains.

One thing to watch out for: Frozen meals are often heavy on the sodium. I suggest looking for choices with 750 milligrams or less — roughly one-third of the recommended daily limit, for which there are plenty of options. For those that clock in higher, if you don’t have high blood pressure it’s probably fine to eat one every now and then;  be sure to choose lower-sodium foods for the remainder of the day.

Vegan frozen meals nutritionists love

From plant-based burgers to pizza or cultural favorites, the following vegan frozen meals are hand-picked by nutrition professionals.

1. Sweet Earth Korean BBQ Style Chick’n Bowl

This unique veggie-packed entrée features plant-based chick’n in spicy sweet gochujang sauce over a cauliflower-brown rice blend, with carrots, edamame, snap peas, and spinach. It’s an excellent source of fiber and packs 15 grams of protein. I like to stir in some extra baked tofu, chickpeas, or black beans to bring the protein over 20 grams, and there’s plenty of yummy sauce to accommodate the add-ins.

Buy it: Sweet Earth Korean BBQ-Style Chick’n Bowl

2. Tattooed Chef Plant-Based Egg Roll Bowl

With riced cauliflower as the first ingredient, this tasty colorful bowl features plant-based beef crumbles mixed with jasmine rice, cabbage, carrots, ginger, cilantro, and scallion in a sweet tamari chili sauce. Round out the meal by adding some extra plant protein such as soy crumbles, chickpeas, or edamame.

Buy it: Tattooed Chef Plant-Based Egg Roll Bowl

3. Morningstar Farms Incogmeato Plant-Based Burgers

The new generation of plant-based burgers intended to mimic real beef burgers has flooded supermarket shelves and restaurant menus. The ingredients and nutrition stats vary widely and thus far, Incogmeato is my favorite. This burger has significantly less saturated fat and more fiber than its competitors. Plus, it’s soy-based, which is a complete protein source. Serve your burger on a whole wheat bun, on top of a salad, or in a high-fiber tortilla with veggies.

Buy it: Morningstar Farms Incogmeato Plant-Based Burgers

4. Trader Joe’s Tofu Scramble with Soy Chorizo

It’s tough finding plant-based meal options with sufficient protein, which is why I love Trader Joe’s Tofu Scramble with Soy Chorizo. It’s loaded with 25 grams of plant-based protein, lots of veggies, and is an excellent source of fiber. The sodium content is a bit high for one serving, so if that is a primary concern, scoop half into a high-fiber tortilla with extra beans, avocado, and cilantro for a nutrient-packed flavor party.

Buy it: Trader Joe’s Tofu Scramble with Soy Chorizo

5. Banza Chickpea Crust Vegan Cheese Pizza

Chickpeas are so versatile, they even create a phenomenal pizza crust. Tiffany Bruno, an applied nutrition graduate student, loves Banza pizza because, “It’s delicious on its own, or easy to add toppings like frozen veggies. Serve a simple salad on the side and it’s a perfect, quick dinner.” Looking for more protein? Add sliced vegan sausage or pepperoni.

Buy it: Banza Chickpea Crust Vegan Cheese Pizza

6. Amy’s Pad Thai

Plant-based dietitian Ashley Kitchens recommends Amy’s Pad Thai.

“This is one of my favorite frozen meals,” Kitchens says. “It’s vegan and gluten-free, has 410 calories, 12 grams of protein, and lots of variety — rice noodles, tofu, carrots, green onions, broccoli, and cashews. I add extra tofu to this when I’m feeling especially hungry.”

Buy it: Amy’s Pad Thai

7. Dr. Praeger’s Perfect Burger

NYC-based dietitian Dena Don recommends the Perfect Burger by Dr. Praeger’s.

“This burger can easily be paired with a whole wheat bun – which I also like to store in the freezer – and some lettuce, tomato, and avocado for a tasty, balanced meal,” she says. “The burger contains pea protein and vegetable puree, which makes it both filling and nutritious.”

One burger contains 20 grams of protein, which is pretty high for a plant-based patty. It also has 4 grams of fiber and 30% of your daily iron.

Buy it: Dr. Praeger’s Perfect Burger

Read next: 17 Best Healthy Freezer Essentials To Have On Hand

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