The $1 Frozen Meal Brand You Should Avoid At All Costs

Frozen meals can be a time-saver when you're hangry and don't have much energy to chef up anything extravagant. Whether it's a guilty pleasure or a matter of convenience, a frozen meal can hit just as good as a home-cooked meal if you get your hands on the right brand. But there's one particular frozen meal brand that will have you regretting picking it out of the grocery store's freezer: Michelina's.

Michelina's is known for its extremely affordable frozen meals. Originally founded to bring authentic Italian flavors to the nation, the brand now pairs that goal with modern solutions for on-the-go eaters. Unfortunately, the brand isn't known for flavorful Italian cuisine or anything else. It offers one of the worst microwaveable meals according to customer reviews and Chowhound even named it one of the least flavorful in our ranking of popular frozen meal brands. The key draw with this brand is that the frozen dinners are affordable: The macaroni and cheese meal costs around $1.18 at Walmart, and Michelina's stir-fry rice with veggies and chicken costs $1.50 at Mariano's. Despite the bargains, the budget meals aren't fooling anyone.

The reviews for many of Michelina's frozen dishes suggest that the dinners miss the mark in several ways. First of all, the quality of the dining experience makes the meals unappealing, with some shoppers disliking the brand because of its bland products and low quality. For instance, the brand's fettuccine Alfredo — a pasta dish known for its creaminess — comes with a watery sauce some frozen food fans can't ignore. In some cases, the quality is so bad the budget-friendly price isn't even a selling point: "All Michelina's products suck. There's a reason they're the cheapest. I don't know what to expect for one dollar but the bar can't be lower," says one Reddit user, with other shoppers calling some options basic and uninspiring.

But it's not just the taste that shoppers have taken issue with. Some have noticed that the frozen meals even look completely different from what is advertised. The brand's presentation of the Salisbury Steak has both disappointed and shocked buyers, who found the frozen meal to look wholly unappetizing, contrary to the image on the package.

If you already have some Michelina's in your freezer or just really want those $1 deals, there are some easy ways to give frozen meals a flavor upgrade. Some reviewers explain that the chicken fried rice dinner is much more palatable doused in condiments like sweet-and-sour or soy sauce. And you can liven up the brand's macaroni and cheese with an extra sprinkle of cheese, garlic salt, and pepper.