The 10 Best & Worst Frozen Breakfast Burritos, According to Dietitians
One of the easiest ways to get a warm breakfast is to heat and eat a frozen breakfast burrito. It's easy to pop in the microwave for a quick meal at home or to grab and go in the car, on the subway, or even while you're walking to your morning destination. Surprisingly, many frozen breakfast burrito or wrap options are healthy, but there are several that don't make the cut if you're looking for a better-for-you breakfast. To help you identify the best options to throw in your grocery cart, we worked with registered dietitians to scan the frozen food aisle and determine the best and worst frozen breakfast burritos when it comes to nutritional quality.
Here are the factors that were looked at in order to identify the most nutritionally beneficial brands:
- The calories
- The total grams of saturated fat
- The total milligrams of sodium
- The total grams of fiber
- The total grams carbohydrates
Below you will find the six burritos categorized as the best and the four burritos categorized as the worst. You'll surprisingly see options on our "worst" list that may seem healthy because of the ingredient choice (like organic, cage-free eggs, or uncured bacon) but when you look at the nutritionals, it's just too much of those nutrients you want to limit. With any of the healthy frozen burrito options, pair with fruit and a glass of milk or soy-based beverage to get a balanced meal with even more nutrients and protein. For more breakfast ideas, check out 34 High-Protein Breakfasts That Keep You Full.
The 6 Best Frozen Breakfast Burritos
Best: Amy's Tofu Scramble Breakfast Wrap, Gluten Free
An easy way to start the morning with protein and veggies, this breakfast wrap contains organic tofu, hash browns, and a mix of veggies. It is free of gluten, dairy, lactose, and tree nuts, vegan, and kosher.
Best: Red's All Natural Turkey Sausage Breakfast Burrito
Red's All Natural Turkey Sausage Breakfast Burrito is a top pick by Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LDN, CLEC, CPT Women's Health Expert, and author of Fueling Male Fertility—especially for busy mornings. "These burritos are made with antibiotic-free sage-seasoned turkey sausage, cage-free scrambled eggs, and real cheese. Each burrito provides 17 grams of protein, and it is hand rolled with tortillas that are cooked in small batches."
Best: Evol Egg & Green Chile Breakfast Burrito
"If I'm out of 'thyme' to make my own breakfast sandwich, I like Evol's egg and green chile breakfast burrito," says Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LD Owner of Sound Bites Nutrition. This burrito provides the perfect combo of protein and fiber, which helps with satiety. "Adding your favorite salsa boosts vitamin C intake and improves iron absorption from fortified grains," adds Andrews.
Best: Sweet Earth Big Sur Breakfast Burrito
If you're looking for a savory, vegetarian way to start the day, both Dr. Joan Salge Blake, EdD, RDN, LDN, FAND, nutrition professor at Boston University, author of Nutrition & You, and the host of the nutrition & health podcast, Spot On! and Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, founder of NutritionStarringYOU.com and author of The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook recommend reaching for this breakfast burrito option. "It provides a whopping 18 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber and only 560 milligrams of sodium," says Salge Blake, who adds that the best part is the less than three minutes it takes to heat in the microwave. Harris-Pincus touts the facts that a frozen vegan burrito with that much protein and 7 grams of fiber is tough to find, plus the combo helps keep you satisfied for hours.
Best: Good Food Made Simple Southwestern Veggie Burrito
This egg white burrito is made with organic cheddar cheese, black beans, and bell peppers wrapped in a wheat tortilla. The 12 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and 9 grams of fat provide a trio effect for satisfaction. This bad boy should have you feeling fuller for longer because those nutrients take longer to digest or move through the gastrointestinal system.
Best: El Monterey Simply Breakfast Egg, Turkey Sausage & Cheese Burritos
This burrito is made with eggs, turkey sausage, and cheese wrapped in a whole-grain tortilla. The calories are on the lower end, while the saturated fat and sodium are very reasonable. You even get 12% of the recommended daily fiber intake, which makes this breakfast option more satisfying.
The 4 Best Frozen Breakfast Burritos
Worst: Jimmy Dean Meat Lovers Breakfast Burritos
There's just too much going on in this breakfast option with egg, sausage, cheese, and bacon. All these ingredients contribute to the whopping amount of saturated fat for your first dish of the morning, which is 35% of your recommended daily max.
Worst: Good Foods Made Simple Uncured Bacon Breakfast Burrito
Although this burrito is made from better-selected ingredients like cage-free eggs, uncured bacon, and even organic veggies, the saturated fat is just too much. This option provides 35% of the recommended daily max for saturated fat; plus, the sodium is higher than many options at 29% of the recommended daily max.
Worst: Alpha Meatless Sausage Breakfast Burrito
Just because this is a certified vegan option, doesn't mean it's a better-for-you choice. This frozen breakfast burrito option is made with meatless sausage, dairy-free hot pepper cheddar, veggies, and a tofu scramble wrapped in a tortilla. The saturated fat is 35% of the recommended daily max, while the carbs are also higher at 41 grams—equivalent to close to 3 slices of bread—and the fiber is rather low for a plant-based option.
Worst: Jimmy Dean Sausage Breakfast Burritos
This egg, cheese, and sausage wrapped in a flour tortilla is one of the highest for both saturated fat and sodium providing 35% and 38% of the recommended daily max, respectively. The fiber is also minimal at only 1 gram. There really are many other healthier choices that are lower in both saturated fat and sodium that have a bit more fiber.
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