This week’s interest rate rise means many Australians will have less money, and will be looking to save wherever they can.

When it comes to groceries, your bank account’s saviour might come in the form of frozen food.

Frozen alternatives to fresh food are usually cheaper, take less time and effort to prepare, and can be just as tasty.

Canstar Blue data shows 71 per cent of frozen meal buyers choose frozen products for convenience, and shoppers who buy frozen meals spend on average $27 a week on those meals.

Frozen meals have developed a bad rap for being unhealthy, but studies comparing the nutrient content of frozen and fresh vegetables have found the frozen versions are nutritionally superior, because freezing slows down the loss of water soluble vitamins.

More than 30 per cent of frozen meal buyers also specifically look for healthier meal options when shopping.

The best frozen food options

Canstar Blue awarded seven frozen food brands with “Most Satisfied Customers 2023” awards after surveying more than 1700 Australians in December.

These are the best brands to buy, according to the survey, for each frozen food type:

Sara Lee took out the top gong in two categories, and topped the frozen cheesecake category for the third year in a row.

Cheap, supermarket homebrand offerings also ranked highly, with Woolworths and Aldi praised for their products’ affordability and tastiness.

Canstar Blue editor-in-chief Christine Seib said there are a few ways shoppers can use frozen foods to help stick to their budgets.

“One way is to keep frozen fruits and veggies on hand for when shortages cause fresh fruit and vegetable prices to jump for a few weeks, as has happened recently with lettuce, watermelon and potatoes,” she said.

“Another way is to stock up on frozen foods when they’re on sale. As long as you stick to the freezing guidelines and best-before date, you can keep them for weeks when money for groceries is tight.

“You don’t even have to go to the supermarket to do this – just filter the online supermarkets’ half-price or sales pages for freezer products to see what’s on offer.”

On The Menu ready-made meals were judged the best in the frozen meal category.

Next best

Second place in the frozen cheesecake section went to Coles, while Sara Lee was second in the frozen crumble/pie section and Woolworths was second in the frozen cake category.

On The Menu, the winner for the frozen meal category, offer dishes like beef lasagne, cheese macaroni and tuna mornay. McCain and Aldi also did well in this category.

McCain was ranked second in the chips and wedges category (with five star ratings for taste, value and variety).

Birds Eye was the clear winner in the frozen vegetable section, with McCain second and Aldi third.