Meal Prep: Frozen Meals

Why Homemade is Better

Frozen meals are quick and easy. Just pop them in the microwave or toaster oven and eat. However, frozen meals that are store-bought can be full of preservatives, sodium, and saturated fat.

Not only are store-bought frozen meals less healthy than homemade frozen meals, but they are often more costly. The prices at the stores keep going up, too. You can easily make homemade frozen meals for under $3.00 per meal.

Taste is a huge factor in why homemade is better! When you are buying, preparing, and cooking the ingredients, you get to say what goes in the meal. By making the meals yourself, you can avoid preservatives, allergens, & food that you just don’t like. Plus, homemade is fresher than those that have been sitting on the freezer shelf.

How to Store Your Frozen Meals

Depending on the meal you might want to choose plastic bags or storage containers. They even make specialty containers that are pre-sectioned for easy meal prep. Glass is always better if you are reheating in the microwave as (even BPA free) plastic can leach chemicals into the food. However, glass can be expensive & you will need to be ready to replace the containers, after a while, as the lids tend to leak from freezing.

Labeling is very important when doing meal prep, whether it is for the fridge or freezer. As most meals will last up to 6 months in the freezer, you should write the contents & date on them. Removable or dissolvable stickers are best, especially when using reusable containers.

Tips for Making & Storing Homemade Frozen Meals

Cut everything that you will be using that day for prep ahead of time, this will make prep much easier. I’m talking about vegetables, shredded cheese, & meat.
Pre-cooked frozen protein (like shrimp & chicken) can save time & money.
Add cornstarch to shredded cheese, to prevent clumping.
Cook chicken at 350* – 375* for 45 minutes (for breast or thighs).
Baking bacon is easy & saves room on the stovetop for other things. Bake at 375* until it is at your desired level of crispy wonderness.
2 1/3 cups of browned ground beef = 1 pound
Always let cooked food cool to room temp before freezing. This will prevent bacterial growth.
Keep an inventory of what you have in the freezer & post it on the door. This will help you figure out what recipes are most popular with your family & signal you to make more.

Foods that Freeze Well