Frozen Meals - How to Stay Organized!
Have you ever felt that cooking a nice meal was the last thing that you wanted to do when you got home from work or school? On those days, wouldn’t it be nice to already have a few meals prepared so all you had to do was choose what you wanted and heat it up? Freezing meals ahead of time is a great way to help you on those days.
If you are cooking and using frozen meals it will last you a while and take the stress out of preparing dinner. When freezing dinners I usually try to aim for three weeks of different meals. Meaning, if I were eating them every day for three weeks I would not run out. Freezing a variety of meals also means you will not become bored and will be less likely to give up on freezing food.
Freezing meals is also a great way to help save money. Making a large pot of soup or pan of lasagna is quite cheap when you see how many meals you can make from it. For instance a pot of Pea soup which includes yellow split peas, some celery and carrots, and a small piece of pork, would cost approximately $3.50. Out of this you could get 6 meals. If you wanted to add a bun this could make a nice home cooked meal. You could not buy fast-food for that amount. Freezing home-made meals also means you have control over what ingredients go into your meals. This way you are able to make healthier choices.
If I need to prepare more meals, I will usually set aside a day during the week to make them. If you are going to be home anyway, it’s not too much trouble to have a pot of home-made soup cooking on the stove for a couple of hours and lasagna in the oven. If you are making something that takes a lot of prep time, why not get the kids involved if they are old enough to help? This also gives them some satisfaction of knowing that they helped prepare that meal. If you don’t have kids, why not listen to some music or listen to a show while you are chopping up vegetables? It is only a big chore, if we make it one. Once the food is stored in the freezer, think how good you will feel that you now have all those meals ready to eat.
Some of my favorite meals for freezing are:
1. Beef Barley Soup
2. Chilli
3. Lasagna
4. Pea soup
5. Butternut Squash Soup
6. Spaghetti Sauce
7. Shepards Pie
8. Chicken Pot Pie
9. Turkey Soup
10. Chopped Vegetables for Stir Fry
Is freezing meals a regular practice in your home? What are your favorite meals?
Tip: Invest in freezer style Tupperware to store your freezer meals in, make your life easy and simple on those busy days!
Written By Leah Hemstreet
Inspired Changes Health