If you haven’t read some of my posts on the Dr. Oz Blog – here’s the link. They generally post each Friday morning!
This Saturday I thought it might be fun to just give you a list of foods that freeze well. Why? Because when you are a busy man or woman, having foods that you have prepared in your freezer ready to heat into a healthy meal can be very helpful. I know that always having some frozen meals in the freezer has saved us money and calories! Not swinging through the drive-thru or visiting a pizza place is a great reason to have a few frozen meals on hand.
Here are some of my favorite meals to make ahead and freeze:
♦Wild Rice Chicken Casserole
♦Chicken Pot Pie Filling (I add the crust at the last minute)
♦Soups of all kinds (minestrone, chicken noodle, vegetable stew, etc.)
♦Homemade vegetable and chicken broth
♦I always have cooked frozen chicken on hand. I freeze it in 2 cup serving sizes for casseroles, enchiladas, wraps, soups, etc.
♦Brown rice freezes beautifully. I thaw it and use it with all kinds of meals.
♦If you are a ground beef eater, cooked ground beef freezes well.
♦Red pasta sauces
♦Pizza dough (yum!)
So you see these are just some of the meals that you may find in my freezer on any given day. With seven kids my life is sometimes a bit hectic so it is nice to have a ready made meal or two. Have you ever frozen meals with success? Diane
When I get my act more together I’ll put more of these recipes up. Some are on the blog already, like the pizza dough and the minestrone soup. Also one book I love a lot is called “Keeping Foods Fresh.” It’s a wonderful resource for food safety, freezing and refrigeration times, etc.
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Love this. I am huge on preparation, and will suggest that preparation, even more than attitude, is the midwife to success in a fitness venture. I spend 2 hours every Sunday cooking and freezing, and that is most important 2 hours of my — or among them!
Emergefit´s last blog ..All those little bullets; the story of slow death…
I am just so bad at freezing meals! And I’ve had terrible luck freezing dough. The good thing is, if I make a large batch of something my husband takes it for lunch for a few days instead of me saving it for another dinner, and everyone wins
Taryl´s last blog ..Boo-yah!
The thing I most tend to freeze is soup, blueberries (we can only get them in July and August here), raspberries from our own bushes, and pumpkin puree – I usually bake one or two in the winter and then scrape off the flesh and freeze it in 1 cup portions (since you can’t find canned pumpkin here in Belgium).
Amy´s last blog ..Ten Random Things about Me
I should do this as I could then have more variety in my food each week.Instead what I’ve been doing is making a big bowl of chili and having 2 meals a day of it till it’s gone…..bit of tooting those weeks
John´s last blog ..Running Slow is Hard
I’ve never thought of freezing brown rice….what a good idea!
Lauren @ Eater not a runner´s last blog ..veggie queen
Great tips! Yes, freezing really helps us eat healthy foods when we are short on time.
Happy Weekend, Diane!
Andrea@WellnessNotes´s last blog ..Fast, Easy, and Delicious Broccoli Cheese Soup
I make bags of dried beans in my crock pot ( rinse, clean out stones , fill crock with water , place in beans and let go for 8 hrs) I rinse then and then package them in 1 1/2 cup portions- one is the same equivalent as a can of beans, but with much less salt. You can also dice onions and green peppers, flash freeze on a cookie sheet and then bag up to keep on hand for quick cook additions.
Diane´s last blog ..Squeaks and squeaks and soulutions
I have such a small freezer that I don’t do much Frozen Food prep. I tend to go to the store every day to buy fresh produce and dinner. It sounds like a hassle but I take my autistic son with me and we use it as a time for learning.
i think when Dan’s back to work we’ll freeze more meals. For now he can cook every night so we can eat more meals fresh than we could otherwise.
Beth @fatbustermack´s last blog ..Foods that make you go “mmm”
You’re on DR. OZ. Has the sunk in yet. You’re amazing. WOOT!
Michelle@Eatingjourney´s last blog ..Sugar Wand
So, you’re the Wellness Warrior? I like that title but, of course, I’m also going to start thinking of you as the Warrior Princess. I can’t help it; that’s just the way my mind works.
‘Drea´s last blog ..Hidden Calories, Crouching Fat
My cookie treats freeze well too!!!
Thx Diane!
Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Bridal Shower Update!
On the weekend I usually cook soup for lunches the next week. It makes it very easy in the morning to just drop them into my lunch bag. I also make chili and freeze it as well.
I agree that brown rice freezes extremely well and I do like to make a big batch and freeze individual servings.
When I cook dinner I will also make extra a few times a week and freeze that to add some variety to lunches the next week.
My favourite is making a bunch of burgers on the Foreman grill that I wrap individually, freeze and enjoy later.
I also love turkey or ham bacon and as soon as I get home from the store, I open the pack and wrap up servings.
I think my freezer definitely makes itself useful.
Thanks for the great tips!
Kimberley´s last blog ..The "Perfect 10" Challenge – Final Update
Cooked Beans freeze very well and then they are just as handy as canned beans – but NO added sodium!
vickie´s last blog ..Daylight Savings Time Change
I love making double batches and putting in the freezer for my hectic days! Great idea!
Trish @IamSucceeding´s last blog ..I Can’t Believe It’s Over!
I wish my kids would eat frozen meals…I love them, especially chili!
sian-girlgetstrong´s last blog ..Spring Break here we come!
Thanks for the link to your Dr Oz site. I did get over there are read everything you have posted.
You are doing a very good job of staying positive, easy to understand and appealing to the masses. Good universal topics.
I am sure it is a bit hard to know what to say (over there, national forum) and you are really doing well!
vickie´s last blog ..Daylight Savings Time Change
I have bad luck freezing things that are pre-cooked. I do freeze a lot of veggies and fruits for money saving purposes, though!
Pam´s last blog ..Sunday Morning (Strawberry) Short
Thanks for the suggestions Diane. I never would have thought of pot pie filling or rice as foods that freeze well.
karen@fitnessjourney´s last blog ..Giveaway Time!
Thanks for the ideas Diane! I need things like that so that it makes my work week a little easier!
Hope all is well with you!
Jenn@slim-shoppin´s last blog ..Annika! 130 pounds gone…amazing!
YOU ARE SO FAMOUS NOW!!!!!!!!!
WOW HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FIND THE TIME FOR ALL YOUR READERS FROM YOUR BLOG and the Dr Oz website…
Shew…It’s really wonderful that you are able to help so many people with weight issues…
I hope ( but understand ) that I don’t lose you as a blog friend as you head off into new and exciting happenings…
Has my postcard reached your doorstep yet??
Marcelle´s last blog ..My Weekend in Cape Town
Thanks so much for sharing your recipes and cooking tips. It’s so useful to be able to just take a meal out of the freezer and heat it up – you know you’re getting a good, healthy meal but without the hassle! It’s really empowering to have this control over your diet even if you’re busy in other areas of your life.
Great tips! I’ve never frozen rice before, I’ll have to try that next time. I wish there were a tip for expanding the size of your freezer. Mine is painfully small!
Tracey @ I’m Not Superhuman´s last blog ..Double Belated Party. And What the Heck Is HIIT?
I usually freeze cooked chicken or hamburger. I like to make double of something–like lasagna–and just pop the extra in the freezer. I think I might start doing that on a regular basis. I have a feeling I’ll be needing those in the future.
WOW! Congratulations on the Oz blog! I missed that before. That is WAY cool and you SO deserve it. I didn’t see a place there to leave a comment though. Am I just missing it? Congrats again.
thanks for sharing your freezing tips. I’ve always been curious to try once a month cooking…if I ever do decided to give it a try I’m sure this list will come in very handy!
Josie´s last blog ..Workout Pledge
IM SOOO IN AWE OF THE OZ.
How had I missed that?!
and the freezing? I really need to get more into this (if by MORE you mean do it at all
which I do…).
I end up at the grocery frequently which my life currently supports (Im always up for timekilling w/the 4 year old
) but soon I think/hope it will not and planning way ahead will be crucial for success.
Miz´s last blog ..Earth Footwear 30 day challenge (final thoughts).
I really need to start preparing foods ahead of time and freezing them. I freeze leftovers but it would be nice to come home and have the meals ready to pop in the microwave every night!
Alissa´s last blog ..Weekend
Generally, I don’t make alot of freezer meals, but there is one recipe I do make in bulk and freeze in portion containers, and that’s homemade refried beans. It’s actually a scheduled blog post, so that will publish tomorrow. It’s one of my favorite recipes!
I love freezing foods! I have frequently frozen lasagna or chili, but never thought to freeze pizza dough or cooked ground meat! Great ideas!