From Fisherman’s Pie to the Full English, we rate the best frozen food for you
Brits spend a reported £1million everyday keeping the chiller cabinet stocked
FROZEN meals are huge business in the UK.
British families spend a reported £1million on them every single day. They can be convenient but are rarely the best choice if you want to eat healthily.
Here, JON AXWORTHY scours the chiller cabinets to compare nutritional details per 100g of 20 branded frozen favourites – and sees how they stack up against the supermarket alternatives.
Chicken Chow Mein
Sharwood’s Chicken Chow Mein: 88cal, 0.6g salt, 2.1g sugar, 1.6g fat.
ASDA Chinese Chicken Chow Mein – WINNER: 83cal, 0.59g salt, 1.6g sugar, 2.1g fat.
VERDICT: Asda’s Chow Mein is a winner, apart from its marginally higher fat content.
Full English breakfast
Kershaws All Day Big Breakfast – WINNER: 112cal, 0.78g salt, 2.2g sugar, 3.8g fat.
Tesco All Day Breakfast: 156cal, 1.1g salt, 3.2g sugar, 7.1g fat.
VERDICT: Kershaws’ breakfast had the edge in every category.
Toad in the Hole
Aunt Bessie’s Toad in the Hole – WINNER: 206cal, 0.83g salt, 2g sugar, 11g fat.
Morrisons Toad in the Hole: 224cal, 0.6g salt, 2.6g sugar, 8.8g fat.
VERDICT: Aunt Bessie’s Toad in the Hole had slightly higher salt, but it was lower in calories and sugar than Morrisons’.
Shepherd's Pie
Bisto Shepherd’s Pie – WINNER: 91cal, 0.38g salt, 0.8g sugar, 3.5g fat.
Morrisons M Kitchen Shepherd’s Pie: 108cal, 0.55g salt, 0.5g sugar, 4.4g fat.
VERDICT: Bisto’s Shepherd’s Pie was only 91 calories and had less fat than the Morrisons version.
Fisherman's pie
Young’s Fisherman’s Pie – WINNER: 111cal, 0.7g salt, 2g sugar, 4g fat.
Morrisons M Kitchen Fisherman’s Pie: 116cal, 0.47g salt, 1.5g sugar, 4.7g fat.
VERDICT: Morrisons’ pie was too high in fat to take the title.
Chicken Tika Masala
Sharwood’s Chicken Tikka Masala with rice – WINNER: 128cal, 0.51g salt, 3g sugar, 2.7g fat.
ASDA Indian Chicken Tikka Masala with rice: 148cal, 0.44g salt, 2.8g sugar, 3.4g fat.
VERDICT: The Sharwood’s meal contained fewer calories and less fat but more salt and sugar.
Macaroni cheese
Tesco Macaroni and Cheese – WINNER: 121cal, 0.6g salt, 1g sugar, 2.7g fat.
Kraft Macaroni and Cheese: 158cal, 0.5g salt, 1.3g sugar, 7.4g fat.
VERDICT: Tesco takes this one, as it is lower in calories, sugar and fat.
Bangers & Mash
Bisto Bangers and Mash – WINNER: 101cal, 0.63g salt, 1g sugar, 3.6g fat.
ASDA Traditional Sausages and Mash: 97cal, 0.53g salt, 1.5g sugar, 4.7g fat.
VERDICT: Bisto’s bangers are higher in salt but lower in fat and sugar.
Meatballs
Heinz Creations Beef Meatballs: 126cal, 0.62g salt, 4.1g sugar, 4.7g fat.
Iceland Meal For One Spaghetti & Meatballs: 93cal, 0.5g salt, 1.8g sugars, 1g fat.
VERDICT: Iceland’s meal is surprisingly low in calories and also scores lower in terms of salt, sugar and fat.
Risotto
Birds Eye Stir Your Senses Risotto: 134cal, 0.47g salt, 1.2g sugar, 6g fat.
Sainsbury’s Mushroom Risotto: 130cal, 0.6g salt, 0.9g sugar, 5.8g fat.
VERDICT: The Sainsbury’s risotto has a little more salt but wins in all other areas.
