Frozen apps make entertaining guests easy and stress-free. But there are some options that are a nutritional nightmare—here’s what to serve and what to skip. When it comes to celebrations, everyone know that the pre-game and the after-party are always more fun than the main event. And we’d argue that the same rule holds true when it comes to eating: Appetizers—the food world’s equivalent to a pre-party—and desserts are always the best parts. That said, if you’re hosting a party or just want to kick off a dinner with some light bites, you’ll want to take care in curating your menu—especially if you’re going the frozen appetizer route.
While pairing crudites and a cheese plate with some frozen mini burgers can take the stress out of entertaining, there are so many ways it can go wrong. Will the food actually taste as appealing as it looks on the box? Will people be able to tell it’s not homemade? And in terms of nutrition, are you basically serving fancy fast food? To answer these questions, Eat This, Not That! braved the tundra that is the frozen food section and examined all of the appetizers. Below, you’ll find a culmination of our detective work: the very best and the very worst apps in the supermarket. And if you’re typically a frazzled host, be sure to pick up some entertaining tips from our special report How to Host a Stress-Free, Healthy Dinner Party.