Frozen food is a comfort food favorite and almost a staple in every American household. The wide selection of frozen foods ranges from high-quality fresh produce to instant microwave dinners. This food line can surely cater to almost all tastes. But wait, how much does American frozen food cost? How does cheaper frozen food differ from the more expensive ones? Let’s find out below.
Why Purchase Frozen Food?
Frozen food has been around for centuries. In the early 1900s, frozen food technology wasn’t as we know it today. Back then, fresh food used to be frozen very slowly, causing the frozen food to lose its flavor. However, in the 1920s, the practice of the indigenous Inuit from Canada to immediately freeze the fresh food suddenly became popular. Through the observation of Clarence Birdseye, he noticed that the fresh food that was immediately frozen would still taste fresh when thawed.
By the 1950s, the frozen food industry had already boomed in the USA. I wonder, how much does American frozen food cost back then? All sorts of frozen foods were developed, including frozen meats and seafood, frozen instant meals, and frozen snacks. Up to this day, frozen foods remain a popular go-to food choice for Americans.
Here are some advantages of purchasing frozen food.
- Frozen food such as meats and seafood are often frozen fresh, ensuring that you still get good quality products even if they are frozen.
- Frozen snacks are a good option for people who are always on the go. They are easy to prepare and filling to the stomach.
- The frozen food line includes instant dinners. These dinners are both affordable and convenient to prepare.
- The quality of ready-to-eat frozen food has tremendously improved over the years.
- Modern frozen foods also take into consideration the dietary requirements and preferences of the consumers. You will be able to find healthy options in the frozen food section.
Choosing Frozen Foods
There are a lot of misconceptions about frozen food. Although highly popular in the 1950s, those microwave dinners and ready-to-eat meals weren’t nearly as good as what is now available in the market. But through the advancement of technology and the awareness of consumers to become more health-conscious, frozen foods have developed to accommodate almost all types of consumers.
But, how much does American frozen food cost? How do I know if I’m choosing the best ones? The key to choosing the best frozen food for you is to read the labels. There is a lot of healthy food if you take the time to read each package’s nutrition details and ingredients. You will eventually find the frozen food brands that will suit your budget and dietary considerations.
Here are some tips when choosing frozen foods.
- Wild-caught seafood is usually much better than farm-raised.
- Check where the frozen food is sourced from. Ideally, you want to purchase frozen foods that were caught or frozen in areas near you. This means that these foods are much fresher than purchasing frozen goods from overseas.
- When reading the nutrition labels, check the sugar, sodium, and fat content. These are usually the unhealthy ingredients of frozen food or any food in general. Make sure that the content is within your dietary requirements.
- When checking the ingredients, check that you are purchasing the actual ingredient and not just the substitute. For example, if you are purchasing a frozen burger meal, make sure that the ingredients list real beef for the burger.
Frozen Food Dinners
In the frozen food selection, frozen food dinners are highly popular. These dinners are already cooked before freezing. Thus, all you need to do is thaw them for just a few minutes, pop them in the microwave, and voila! You have a complete meal.
Frozen food dinners are a great choice after a busy day at work. When you have so much stuff to do, it helps that you don’t have to worry about dinner.
The popular frozen food dinner options include white meat turkey with mashed potato and seasoned stuffing, lasagna with meat and sauce, chicken fried steak with gravy, eggplant parmigiana, pasta cups, and even healthier options like cauliflower mac and cheese.
Frozen Food Prices
So, how much does American frozen food cost? The price range of frozen foods depends on the brand and ingredients. Popular frozen food brands include Banquet, Stouffer’s, Marie Callender’s, Jimmy Dean, Uncrustables, and American Frozen Foods. Mainstream brands have also made their way into the frozen food section, like TGIF and Healthy Choice.
You can get a single-serve chicken strips meal for as low as $1.38. If you want a fancier beef pot roast, these usually go for around $2.48; while a roast turkey can go for slightly higher at $2.78. Boneless fried chicken with mac and cheese can go for $2.34.
The more well-known brands have a higher price tag as well. A box of TGIF’s honey barbecue boneless chicken bites retails for $4. An Uncrustables peanut butter and jelly sandwich pack will retail at $7.12 for 10 sandwiches.
Frozen Food Online Delivery
Many stores now offer bulk frozen food delivery. Unlike in the past, where you can only get food delivered from popular pizza or fast-food chains, the past decade has ushered in online grocery deliveries, including frozen food deliveries.
Major stores like Walmart and Costco offer food delivery to their customers. Online giant Amazon also offers online food delivery through its Prime Now program, open to Amazon Prime members.
Aside from these popular retailers, the American Frozen Foods company offers food deliveries as well. What makes their deliveries stand out is their commitment to a food program for the whole family. They can deliver weekly meal plans to suit the dietary needs of their customers. These weekly meals cost from $60 for two people and up to $140 for four or more people. And just like frozen food dinners, these meals just need to be reheated, and they are ready to serve.
Conclusion
Now that you know the answer to “how much does American frozen food cost?” you can start planning a weekly meal or enroll yourself in a weekly meal program. Whichever you choose, you can surely have a satisfying and healthy meal, even when on a budget.