The Healthiest Marie Callender's Frozen Meal Money Can Buy

When it comes to feeding yourself, sometimes you just want a shortcut. And that's when a quick-and-easy frozen meal becomes a perfect dinner. Contrary to what some might say, you most certainly can have a frozen entrée without sacrificing good health and nutrition. And if it's Marie Callender's that's making your dinner tonight, then opt for the healthiest option (which may come as a surprise): the Beef Pot Roast Bowl.

"Wait, beef pot roast is healthy?" you may be saying. Well, in Marie Callender's case, it is. What's traditionally considered a rich and heavy comfort food beat out other Marie meals on the nutrition-label front. This dinner has just 210 calories and 6 grams of fat, of which only 2.5 are saturated, but it still gives you 13 grams of protein. It's also shockingly low in cholesterol, at just 40 milligrams. And though the meal's 790 milligrams of sodium are more than you'd want in a perfect world, that's considerably less than many of the other frozen dinners (the Honey Roasted Turkey Breast, for instance, has 1,180 milligrams of sodium).

Of course, being pot roast, this is a nice, well-rounded meal that hits all four of the food groups. You've got your protein. You're getting some veggies. You've got a starch with the potatoes, yet the meal still stays relatively low in carbs (23 grams). There are even small amounts of dairy, and the dinner provides some calcium and potassium. This might be one of Marie Callender's best-kept secrets (and the brand has several).

Now that you know which frozen dinner to grab if you're trying to make healthy choices, which ones should you avoid (or, at least, save for those less health-conscious days)? On the other end of the spectrum from the Beef Pot Roast Bowl is the Cheesy Chicken & Bacon Pot Pie — perhaps one of the least healthy meals made by Marie Callender's.

It comes with a delicious Marie Callender's-made crust filled with creamy chicken, bacon, and cheese — but it also comes with at least 1,040 calories and 62 grams of fat (which, according to Marie Callender's own calculations, is about 80% of your recommended daily fat intake). This decadent pot pie also has more than 1,420 milligrams of sodium, 80 milligrams of cholesterol, and 90 grams of carbs. The good news? It has 33 grams of protein. And broccoli. And if needed, there are ways to give it even more pizazz.

If you're really craving a pot pie but want to be as healthy as possible, the Broccoli & Cheddar Potato Pot Pie is a much better option. A vegetarian take on the original, this meal has veggies, cheese, and a creamy sauce, so you won't lose out on flavor. And by cutting out the meat, the calorie count drops to 660 for the whole pie, and it also makes for a much less aggressive 39 grams of fat and 790 milligrams of sodium. Plus, it has 20 grams of protein, and only 10 milligrams of cholesterol.

While still not as healthy as the Beef Pot Roast Bowl and some of the other Marie Callender's dinners (like, say, the Lemon & Herb Chicken), the Broccoli and Cheddar Potato Pot Pie is a good compromise for both health and taste.