IS FROZEN PIZZA REALLY THAT BAD?

Frozen pizzas have a poor reputation, but it’s time we cut them some slack. Of course, a freshly made pie from a store or one made from scratch at home is the high bar we should always strive for, but sometimes there are sacrifices we have to make in life. When delivery isn’t an option and we aren’t able to go out to grab a slice, sometimes we have to call in the reinforcements.

Pizza emergencies are a real thing, and there are times you have to turn to the trusty old freezer to get a needed fix. But are the pre- made frozen pizzas bought at your local grocery or department store that horrible? Obviously there are asterisks involved before we can give frozen pizzas any kind of blessing or tolerability, but we shouldn’t be turning up our noses at them.

The first asterisk for approval is price point. Frozen pizzas have ridiculously expensive prices, and the companies that produce them should be ashamed of themselves when chain pizza joints offer a fresh pie for cheaper. However, frozen pizza brands go on sale rather frequently, bringing the value proposition down to a much more realistic level. I’m not ashamed to admit I appreciate the value of a dollar, and have no problem stocking up with a couple of frozen pies when they are cheap to have on hand for the next pizza crisis. They certainly aren’t worth the $8 to $10 asking price, but when they are $5 or less, then what’s the harm?

Frozen pizzas also come with a measure of versatility. Choose your flavour of choice with the cold, crispy toppings already stuck to the frozen cheese, but when it’s time to toss it in the oven you can take a few extra minutes to add more flavour. Or don’t. That’s the beauty of frozen convenience, after all. ( I usually opt for a cheese frozen pizza and add fresh veggies to make me feel slightly better about eating it.)

I’m not saying the commercials and company taglines are right in saying frozen pizzas can compete with those beautiful pies that come fresh out of the oven at your favourite establishment. They aren’t, no matter how badly the large multinationals want you to think they are.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and frozen pizzas aren’t so bad when we need saving – financially or otherwise.