Frozen meal

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A 1950s-style TV dinner. This type of meal was common until the early 1980s

A TV dinner (also called frozen dinner, microwave meal, or ready meal) is a prepackaged, frozen or chilled meal which usually comes in an individual package. It requires very little preparation and contains all the elements for a single-serving meal.

The term TV Dinner is a genericized trademark originally used for a brand of packaged meal developed in 1953 for C.A. Swanson & Sons (The name in full was TV Brand Frozen Dinner). In the United States the term is now synonymous with any prepackaged dinner purchased frozen in a supermarket and heated at home, even though Swanson stopped using the name "TV Dinner" in 1962.

The original TV Dinner came in an aluminium tray and was heated in an oven. Most frozen food trays are now made of microwaveable material, usually plastic.

History

The first Swanson-brand TV Dinner (other companies produced frozen dinners on trays years earlier) was produced in the United States and consisted of a Thanksgiving meal of turkey, cornbread dressing, frozen peas and sweet potatoes packaged in a tray like those used at the time for airline food service. Each item was placed in its own compartment. The trays proved to be useful: the entire dinner could be removed from the outer packaging as a unit; the aluminum tray could be heated directly in the oven without any extra dishes; and one could eat the meal directly out of the same tray. The product was cooked for 25 minutes at 425°F (220°C) and fit nicely on a TV tray. The original TV Dinner sold for 98 cents, and had a production estimate of 5,000 dinners for the first year. Swanson far exceeded its expectations, and ended up selling more than 10 million of these dinners in the first year of production. Their early packaging featured the image of a TV set.

Much has changed since the first TV Dinners were marketed. For instance, a wider variety of entreés — such as fried chicken, Salisbury steak and Mexican combinations — have been introduced. Competitors such as Banquet began offering prepackaged frozen dinners. Other changes include:

• 1960 – Swanson added desserts (such as apple cobbler and brownies) to a new four-compartment tray.
• 1964 – Night Hawk name originated from the Night Hawk steak houses that operated in Austin, Texas from 1939 through 1994. The original "diners" were open all night catering to the late night crowd. The restaurants produced the first frozen Night Hawk "TV dinner" in 1964.
• 1969 – The first TV breakfasts were marketed (pancakes and sausage were the favorites). Great Starts Breakfasts and breakfast sandwiches (such as egg and Canadian bacon) followed later.
• 1973 – The first Swanson Hungry-Man dinners were marketed; these were larger portions of its regular dinner products. "Mean" Joe Greene, football player, was its spokesman.
• 1986 – The first microwave oven-safe trays were marketed.

Modern-day frozen dinners tend to come in microwave-safe containers. Product lines also tend to offer a larger variety of dinner types. These dinners, also known as microwave meals, can be purchased at almost every supermarket. They are stored frozen, then when it is time to prepare them, the plastic cover is removed or vented, and the meal is heated in a microwave oven for a few minutes. They are very convenient since they essentially require no preparation time other than the heating, although some frozen dinners may require the preparer to briefly carry out an intermediary step (such as stirring mashed potatoes midway through the heating cycle) to ensure adequate heating and uniform consistency of one or more component items.

In the United Kingdom, pre-prepared frozen meals (usually known as "ready meals") first became widely available in the late 1970s. Since then they have steadily grown in popularity with the increased ownership of home freezers and microwave ovens. Demographic trends such as the growth of smaller households have also influenced the sale of this and other types of convenience food. In 2003, the United Kingdom spent £5 million a day on ready meals, and was the largest consumer in Europe.

Unfrozen pre-cooked ready meals, which are merely chilled and require less time to reheat, are also very popular and are sold by most large supermarkets such as Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury's and Tesco. Chilled ready meals are intended for immediate reheating and consumption. Although most can be frozen by the consumer after purchase if required, some may have to be fully defrosted before reheating.

Many different varieties of frozen and chilled ready meals are now generally available in the UK, including "gourmet" recipes, organic and vegetarian dishes, traditional British and foreign cuisine, and smaller children's meals.

Invention

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Hungry-Man frozen dinner.

The identity of the TV Dinner's inventor has been disputed. In one account, first publicized in 1996, retired Swanson executive Gerry Thomas said he conceived the idea after the company found itself with a huge surplus of frozen turkeys because of poor Thanksgiving sales. Thomas' version of events has been challenged by the Los Angeles Times, members of the Swanson family and former Swanson employees. They credit the Swanson brothers with the invention.

Either way, Swanson's concept was not original. In 1944, William L. Maxson's frozen dinners were being served on airplanes. Other prepackaged meals were also marketed before Swanson's TV Dinner. In 1948, plain frozen fruits and vegetables were joined by what were then called 'dinner plates' with an entrée, potato, and vegetable. Later, in 1952, the first frozen dinners on oven-ready aluminum trays were introduced by Quaker States Foods under the One-Eye Eskimo label. Quaker States Foods was joined by other companies including Frigi-Dinner, which offered such fare as beef stew with corn and peas, veal goulash with peas and potatoes, and chicken chow mein with egg rolls and fried rice. However Swanson, a large producer of canned and frozen poultry in Omaha, Nebraska, was able to promote the widespread sales and adaption of frozen dinner by using its nationally-recognized brand name with an extensive national marketing campaign nicknamed "Operation Smash" and the clever advertising name of "TV Dinner," which tapped into the public's excitement around the new device.

Health concerns

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Gastropub ready meal from Marks & Spencer.

The freezing process tends to degrade the taste of food, and the meals are thus heavily processed with extra salt and fat to compensate. In addition, stabilizing the product for a long period typically means that companies will use partially hydrogenated vegetable oils for some (typically dessert) items, which are high in trans fats that can adversely affect cardiovascular health. The dinners are almost always significantly less nutritious than fresh food, and are formulated to remain edible after long periods of storage, thus often requiring preservatives such as BHT. There is, however, some variability between brands.

In recent years there has been a push by a number of independent manufacturers and retailers to make meals that are low in salt, fat and free of artificial additives. Healthy Choice is one company that markets to the health-conscious niche. In the UK, Most British supermarkets also produce their own "healthy eating" brands. Nearly all chilled or frozen ready meals sold in the UK are now clearly labeled with the salt, sugar and fat content and the recommended daily intake. Concern about obesity and government publicity initiatives such as those by the Food Standards Agency [1] and the National Health Service [2] have encouraged manufacturers to reduce the levels of salt and fat in ready prepared food. Their guidelines state:

If you're buying ready meals, check the food labels to see how your choices match up. 'Healthier option' ranges are usually lower in calories and fat than standard ranges. But remember that even 'healthier' ready meals will probably be higher in fat and calories than the home-made equivalent.

A benefit of frozen dinners is that they are usually fully cooked during preparation, and only need to be reheated by the consumer. This eliminates the possibility of undercooking by misjudging microwave powers and cooking times. More recently, however, frozen dinners have been created that are designed to be used as a steamer, allowing rapid cooking of essentially raw ingredients (typically fish and vegetables) immediately before consumption.

All-natural options for frozen meals are also becoming available.

External links

• The frozen, chilled and ready made foods industry - business information at the British Library
• Microwave Meal reviews
• Healthy Frozen Dinners - A review of the better options in the US