It’s 5:30, the kids are hungry, and I need a side on the plate fast — these are the Target picks I keep coming back to when the goal is something healthy that doesn’t take over the whole dinner push.
1. Frozen Mixed Vegetables – 12oz – Good & Gather™ – $0.99
Carrots, corn, peas, and green beans all in one bag for under a dollar — this is the freezer workhorse you reach for when you need a complete veggie side in the time it takes to reheat chicken nuggets. Non-GMO, blanched, and ready to microwave, it checks every box without making anyone make decisions.
Taste: Mild and gently sweet, with each vegetable keeping its own character — the corn and peas add sweetness while the green beans give some substance. Texture lands right in that tender-not-mushy zone that even ambivalent kid-veggie eaters tend to accept.
Make It Better: A pat of butter and a pinch of salt transforms this completely; for cheese-lovers, a quick sprinkle of shredded cheddar while it’s still hot goes a long way.
Parting Thoughts: At $0.99, this is the insurance policy every freezer needs for surprise kid dinners.
2. Frozen Broccoli Florets – 12oz – Good & Gather™ – $1.29
When a kid asks for ‘little trees,’ these large florets actually deliver — big enough to hold for dipping, sturdy enough to not turn to mush when microwaved. Non-GMO and blanched, they come out with a real veggie presence rather than that grey steamed-vegetable-bag vibe.
Taste: Mild and fresh, not bitter the way overcooked broccoli gets. The large floret size gives you a satisfying bite with a slight natural sweetness at the stem end and a bit more texture in the crown.
Make It Better: Set out a small bowl of ranch or warm up a spoonful of cheese sauce — kids who swear they don’t eat broccoli tend to quietly work their way through the whole bowl.
Parting Thoughts: The large florets make these the rare frozen broccoli that actually looks and eats like real food rather than an afterthought.
3. Frozen Steam-in-bag Edamame – 12oz – Good & Gather™ – $2.59
My kids love this one because eating it is half the fun — steaming the whole bag and then squeezing the pods open is practically an activity in itself. Fully cooked soybeans in the pod, ready after a few minutes in the microwave, and surprisingly filling for what looks like such a simple side.
Taste: Mild and slightly nutty with a clean, fresh flavor that’s not aggressively ‘healthy-tasting.’ The pods are firm and satisfying to pop, and the beans inside have a pleasant bite that holds up well even after steaming.
Make It Better: A pinch of sea salt right after steaming is all it needs — or try a small drizzle of soy sauce for kids who gravitate toward savory flavors.
Parting Thoughts: Protein-packed and interactive, these might be the one frozen side kids actually ask for by name next visit.
4. Alexia Frozen Vegan Sweet Potato Fries – 20oz – $6.19
Skip the drive-thru version and keep these in the freezer instead — sweet potato fries that actually come out crispy when oven-baked, in a 20 oz bag that feeds a whole table of kids. Non-GMO Project Verified, and the natural sweetness means even fry-skeptics tend to finish their portion.
Taste: That sweet-savory balance that makes sweet potato fries so satisfying — they lean naturally sweet, with a crisp exterior that gives way to a soft, almost creamy center when properly baked. They’re less aggressively starchy than regular fries, which some kids prefer and some don’t — fair warning.
Make It Better: The oven gets them properly crispy; an air fryer gets them even better. A light pinch of extra salt right out of the heat helps the sweet-savory balance really land.
Parting Thoughts: Worth every cent of the $6.19 for a side that doubles as something kids genuinely get excited about.
5. Frozen Whole Kernel Yellow Corn – 12oz – Good & Gather™ – $0.99
Corn is the vegetable that almost never fails with kids, and keeping a bag of these frozen kernels around means you always have a side that’ll get eaten without a fight. Fully cooked, microwaveable, $0.99 — it doesn’t need to be complicated.
Taste: Sweet and juicy with a clean corn flavor, the kind that tastes like someone actually remembered to season it. The kernels have a pleasant pop — not soggy, not starchy, just genuinely good corn.
Make It Better: Toss them in a dry pan over medium-high heat after microwaving for a bit of caramelization — it turns cafeteria corn into something that almost reads as elote.
Parting Thoughts: Corn never loses, and at $0.99 a bag, there’s no reason not to have two tucked in the freezer at all times.
6. Frozen Mediterranean-Style Seasoned Quinoa, Couscous & Vegetable Blend – 12oz – Good & Gather™ – $4.89
Dinner’s almost done and you need one more thing on the plate that isn’t just a plain vegetable — this seasoned quinoa and couscous blend with garden vegetables actually fills that role. It’s more substantial than a single-veg side, comes straight from the microwave as a real dish, and the light Mediterranean seasoning doesn’t compete with whatever else is on the table.
Taste: Lightly seasoned with a savory, herby note that feels considered without being overwhelming. The quinoa gives it a pleasant earthy quality, the couscous keeps things soft, and the vegetables blend in without dominating — it holds together as a dish, not just a pile of components.
Make It Better: Pair it alongside grilled chicken or baked fish and it reads as a proper home-cooked dinner rather than a freezer shortcut — steam-in-bag and serve straight.
Parting Thoughts: For nights when a single-veg side won’t cut it, this is the one that makes the plate look like you actually planned ahead.
