Forget the takeaway: Aussie shoppers crown the best supermarket frozen meals for 2026
Frozen meals can be a game changer for when you are pressed for time, and switching from fresh can even save you up to $675 each year.
A recent survey by Canstar has rated all of the best supermarket frozen meals, with Aussie shoppers choosing a clear winner.
And that winner is McCain, with consumers giving five stars for overall satisfaction, taste, packaging, and variety and range, and four stars for value for money.
McCain has been given five stars for overall customer satisfaction. Nine
This is the third year in a row that McCain has taken out the top spot.
Canstar Blue surveyed 632 Australians for their feedback on the frozen meal brands they've purchased and consumed in the last six months.
McCain was the only brand to receive five stars when it came to overall satisfaction.
Birds Eye, McCain Healthy Choice, and Woolworths home brand frozen meals each scored four stars for overall satisfaction.
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McCain was the only brand to receive five stars when it came to overall satisfaction. Nine
Coles, Lean Cuisine, and McCain's Pub Size range received three stars each.
Standard McCain frozen meals cost $5.60-$6.50 but are currently on sale at Woolworths. Pub Size often retail for around $9.50, which could explain why they scored lower on value for money.
Meals include spaghetti bolognese, beef lasagne, tuna mornay, fettucine carbonara, and roasts including chicken, lamb and beef.
McCain was founded by the McCain brothers in Canada in 1957 and started with frozen potato products, quickly becoming the world's largest manufacturer of frozen chips.
Then later expanded into frozen meats and appetisers, and their products are now sold in over 160 countries.
Canstar revealed Aussie shoppers are increasingly turning to frozen items to make ends meet, with 50 per cent of shoppers cutting costs by making the switch from fresh to frozen.
Frozen meals can be a game changer for when you are pressed for time. Nine
This includes fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, and strawberries as well as frozen blueberries, with some swaps costing 70 per cent less than fresh varieties.
The research also found customers can save $13 a week by switching from fresh to frozen products, or up to $675 each year.
Canstar also rated Australia's favourite frozen desserts. Nine
Sara Lee Frozen Cheesecake and Peters Original Ice Cream Party Cake have been named Best Frozen Cheesecake Brand and Best Frozen Cake respectively in Canstar's survey.
This is Sara Lee's sixth win in a row, with Aussies rating it the highest in the categories that drive customer satisfaction. It beat out Woolworths' and Coles' home brand cheesecakes to take out the top spot.
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