14 Discontinued Frozen Foods We're Not Getting Back

Frozen foods seem to have a bad rap these days. Critics quickly point out that they are often high in sodium and other preservatives to keep the products shelf-stable for as long as possible. But you cannot argue with the fact that they have also helped to increase the accessibility of food for many families, not to mention they are convenient and quick to prepare. So it is no surprise that over the years, the frozen food aisle at the local grocery store has expanded to include everything from full meals to ice cream to breakfast and everything in between.

While many frozen food products have been household staples, others lost their steam and were discontinued. Some of them were discontinued decades ago, while others are quite recent. Changing consumer trends and internal business decisions are often key drivers for products being pulled from shelves.  Regardless of the reason, many fans are left missing their favorite go-to treat. Take a trip down memory lane and revisit these frozen foods that are currently discontinued.

You may have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it is often skipped or minimized to a cup of coffee, thanks to everyone's busy schedules. It is now easier to grab a quick bite to eat before heading off to work or school thanks to the frozen foods aisle, and Eggo is the brand most families think about when looking for frozen breakfast meals. There have been a number of different Eggo frozen waffle products and flavors over the years, with its Waf-Fulls being among the most unique.

Eggo Waf-Fulls came about in the 90s and are stuffed frozen waffles with a strawberry jam filling. In its lifetime, strawberry was the only flavor made available, and it was ultimately pulled from shelves before it could expand to include any more varieties. Eggo waffles continue to dominate the frozen food aisle to this day, with classic flavors and popular children's characters appearing on the boxes. Sadly, you will have to construct your own jam-filled waffle sandwich to come close to what the Waf-Full once offered.

What consumers know today as the standard frozen TV dinner can be traced back to the 50s, specifically to the company Swanson. Though vacuum-sealed meals had been manufactured for airline passengers as early as the 40s, it took another decade before these frozen foods arrived in the typical American home. Thanks to a surplus in turkeys one fateful holiday season, Swanson came up with the idea of frozen meals that could be heated in a matter of minutes, eliminating the need to prepare a full meal on a daily basis. After the launch of the first Swanson TV dinner, an array of different meal options appeared on the market.

In the 60s, Swanson released a line of internationally-inspired TV dinners, thanks to growing consumer interest in cuisine from other nations. These meals were tweaked a bit to fit American appetites, but consumers could find foods inspired by cuisine from China, Mexico, Italy, and Germany. The international varieties, along with Swanson TV dinners as a whole, were eventually discontinued, but there is no question that frozen entrees as consumers know them today were shaped and molded by them.

Trader Joe's has a fiercely loyal fan following, with a number of social media accounts solely dedicated to tracking the company's every move. Over the years, regular shoppers have grown accustomed to certain patterns, such as expecting their favorite seasonal products to return each year. Fans also know better than most that they should not fall in love with a particular product too much, as Trader Joe's is known for discontinuing certain products, often ones that seem to receive high marks. And in case you were wondering –- yes, there are even social media accounts solely dedicated to tracking the company's decisions to discontinue products.

Like other stores, Trader Joe's sells a number of different frozen pizzas for a quick and easy meal solution. One of those products was its Arugula Pizza, which was discontinued in 2022. Shoppers can, however, purchase a highly-rated Burrata, Prosciutto & Arugula Flatbread if they miss the Arugula Pizza and want something similar.

If you grew up eating microwave dinners as a kid from the 90s, you likely enjoyed a few varieties of Kid Cuisine. The kid-friendly packaging was instantly recognizable in the frozen foods aisle thanks to its blue color and penguin mascot named KC, which of course stands for Kid Cuisine. The frozen meals usually came with some sort of main entrée, such as a slice of pizza or chicken nuggets, a couple of small sides that included a vegetable, and a dessert. Does anyone else remember those molten-hot brownie squares?

One version of Kid Cuisine that was previously on the market was its Deep Sea Adventure meal, which was comprised of fish sticks, macaroni and cheese, corn, and gummy sharks. Though Kid Cuisine is still sold in grocery stores to this day, the Deep Sea Adventure product was discontinued. If you miss the days of fish sticks for lunch, it is an easy meal to recreate as an adult, not to mention a much healthier option when made at home versus nuking in the microwave.

The mark of a great snack, according to some, is whether or not it can be made better by throwing it in the freezer. Think of items like Pop-Tarts, chocolate candy bars, or even cookies. Something magical happens when you let it rest in the freezer for a few hours. When companies caught on to this reality, new products began appearing in your grocery store; that is precisely what happened when Jell-O released Pudding Pops in the frozen foods aisle.

Frozen Pudding Pops were a great icy treat to enjoy on a hot afternoon. Jell-O is no stranger to discontinuing products, though most of that experience has been with the company's bizarre flavors. The pudding pops were eventually pulled from shelves due to a lack of demand. Thankfully, it is very easy to make this frozen treat at home; all you need is a popsicle mold and some instant pudding mix.

Food manufacturers often cross-promote with popular shows and movies to help market their products to a wider audience, especially when it comes to food targeted at kids. Think back to your favorite childhood meals and snacks; there were likely at least a few that had your favorite cartoon characters on the box. This is one of the tactics used by Kid Cuisine to market its products, releasing a Friends Forever Mac and Cheese in collaboration with the popular cartoon "Spongebob Squarepants."

This meal included macaroni and cheese in the shape of characters from the show, a side of corn, and for dessert, chocolate pudding with a crumb topping made to look like sand. Despite "Spongebob Squarepants" continuing to be a popular kids' television program, the Friends Forever Mac and Cheese ended up only having a limited run, and it was eventually discontinued. The current lineup of Kid Cuisine meals does not feature any recognizable characters from pop culture, but you can still find Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Spongebob Shapes if you miss eating your favorite Bikini Bottom denizens for lunch.

Few dinners are as easy and quick to prepare as pasta. It comes through in a pinch when you realize none of the meat in your fridge is thawed, or you simply want to save on your dining-out budget. It is worth stocking up on pasta products and Costco sells a number of different kinds in both the pantry and frozen aisles.

Members used to be able to purchase Kirkland Signature Frozen Four-Cheese Ravioli, but in true Costco fashion, the product has since been discontinued. Also, as its members have come to suspect, there seems to be no clear reason why it was discontinued in the first place. Other frozen pasta dishes are available at Costco, including its fan-favorite Kirkland Italian Sausage and Beef Lasagna, so not all is lost if you need an easy pasta dinner idea. Unfortunately, though, you won't be able to dig into the four-cheese ravioli for the time being.