The frozen food category is hot, hot, hot. Customers’ growing desire for convenience, easy meal planning, reliable nutrition, and stellar taste all contribute to the boom, and there’s nowhere to go but up. Of course, not all frozen ready meals are created equal. Truly outstanding frozen meals – the ones grocery shoppers reach for again and again – combine global flavors, trend-driven innovations, and jazzy ingredients at an affordable price point. They also lean into custom sauces specifically formulated for frozen meals with freeze-thaw capabilities for unbelievable texture and taste ensuring your meals stay perfect from freezer to spoon. Read on to find out how custom sauces, especially those formulated with freeze-thaw capabilities, are driving the white-hot frozen meals market.
Why Frozen Ready Meals Are Hotter Than Ever
Frozen ready meals are on the rise, especially among millennials. It’s not hard to see why; millennial shopping behaviors tend to skew toward convenience, quality, and health-conscious options (Canadian Grocer, 2024), and frozen meals check every box. Below are a few more reasons why today’s consumers are reaching for frozen ready meals at unprecedented rates:
- Convenience: 68% of consumers cite convenience as a key factor influencing their purchasing decisions (Canadian Grocer, 2024). Frozen meals provide tasty cuisine for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks, with minimal consumer effort required. Plus, with on-trend sauces formulated specifically for frozen meals, there’s no stovetop sauce prep required.
- Quality: Innovation leads the way in the frozen food aisle. The top brands in this sector aren’t afraid to go bold, continuously introducing new and exciting products to meet evolving consumer needs. Frozen meal sauces are the secret ingredient to help brands tap into a diverse array of flavors and cuisines.
- Nutrition: Convenience isn’t everything – choosy consumers are also looking for ways to boost their nutritional intake with wholesome ingredients and plant-based flavors. Frozen meals allow consumers to keep a close eye on their nutrition while also controlling portion sizes.
Today’s Top Trends in Frozen Ready Meals
Ready to tap into the frozen meals market? Below are a few of the top trends in this tasty sector:
- Bold Global Flavors: Today’s consumers are excited to branch out and expand their culinary horizons, and our range of frozen meal sauces pair deliciously with international cuisines. Indian, Cajun, Korean – you name it! Sauces like Tikka Masala, Chicken Korma Gravy, Thai Red Curry, Green Goddess, or Romesco Sauce are all freeze-thaw compatible and undeniably delicious.
- Starting the Day Right with Frozen Meals: We’re seeing an influx of consumers embracing the convenience of frozen foods for breakfast, and we have the breakfast sauces to back it up. From savory to sweet, our sauces add a flavorful twist to morning favorites like breakfast burritos, pancakes, and breakfast sandwiches. From Pink Peppercorn Gravy and Spicy Chipotle Aioli to Salsa Verde and Creamy Mushroom Gravy, you can’t go wrong with breakfast sauces for frozen meals.
- Snack-Sized Bites: As consumers gravitate towards smaller portions and bite-sized snacks, our range of sauces in small format pouches or dip cups are the perfect complement to convenient, portion-controlled options. Black Garlic Teriyaki BBQ Sauce, Sweet Thai Chili Sauce, and spicy Pepper Ranch offer big flavor in convenient, on-the-go packages.
Revolutionize Your Frozen Meals: Freeze-Thaw Stable Sauces
As we mentioned above, freeze-thaw stable sauces might be what’s missing from your frozen meals. We craft our freeze-thaw stable sauces to retain their flavor, consistency, and texture – even after being frozen and then thawed for use. These sauces remain stable throughout a range of handling processes, including transportation, storage, and preparation by consumers. The following are a few examples of our freeze-thaw sauce capabilities:
- Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce, perfect for frozen chicken parmesan
- Honey Mustard Glaze to complement convenient frozen chicken tenders
- Spicy Gochujang Sauce for a Korean BBQ beef bowl meal, featuring rice and kimchi
- Rich Chicken Korma Sauce for an Indian curry bowl with chickpeas and daal
- Spicy Honey Sriracha Glaze atop a Honey Sriracha chicken wings meal
- Creamy Green Goddess Dressing for a frozen Buddha bowl with quinoa, roasted vegetables, and avocado
When you’re ready to dive into the booming frozen meals market, look no further than the culinary experts at Giraffe Foods. Our team can work with you to formulate a variety of custom freeze-thaw stable sauces, tapping into the trending global flavors today’s consumers crave.
Not sure where to start? No problem – our foodies are well-acquainted with the latest trends and tastes. We’ll do the research for you and help you design a menu that’ll keep customers coming back all day long. By partnering with a private label sauce manufacturer like Giraffe Foods, you can get ahead of the competition. The early bird gets the worm, after all.
