My nutrition lecturer at uni basically said to me that if you have trouble pronouncing some of the ingredients and/or the package can be left in the fridge/freezer/cupboard for a long time (like basically a use by of the next year) then it probably isn't good for you.

If you can get it fresh and make it fresh then it is better for you. And home brand stuff isn't necessarily worse for you than branded stuff, you just need to read the ingredients.

I try to only have staples in my place. Only frozen foods I have are veges, berries, meat and a loaf of bread (we'll just totally ignore the vodka and the daiquiri mix ). I also have pre-made food in the freezer in terms of food I've made myself. One of my girlfriends used to supply me with home-made pasta sauce but since she no longer lives nearby it is a bit hard.