Freezing- Essential for Maintaining Healthy Habits

Freezing individual meals is essential to maintaining healthy habits. The importance of this is so great that I invested in a small freezer chest. My freezer went from empty to full by taking a day to cook 3 different meals. I began my cook-fest by placing one meal in the crock pot to simmer all day while I prepared the other 2 meals. It is one full day in the kitchen but afterwards you have a great base to build from. Then, as you cook dinner for you and/or your family throughout the following weeks, make enough for 2 or 3 leftover meals and add those to your collection. I focus on creating one dish meals filled with every food group. Some great examples of this are soups, stews and chili.

Foods that freeze well include:
1. Soups, Stews and Chili
2. Enchiladas
3. Meatloaf
4. Sliced Roast Beef
5. Taco Meat
6. Cooked Grains such as Quinoa, Brown Rice and Oatmeal

NOTE: Quinoa freezes great on it's own but not with any kind of liquid. Place it alone in a small containers and add to your meal when you are ready to eat.


Foods that don't freeze well include:
1. Milk based dishes (except cheese)
2. Water heavy veggies such as cucumber and celery
3. Stir Fry
4. Brown Rice Pasta
5. Cooked Chicken Breasts (Chicken freezes well if it is cut up and, mixed with a sauce, or in a casserole/soup but not so much on it's own because it becomes too watery and a little freezer burned.)

Once you have the meals prepared, how should you store them? I try to stay away from plastic as much as possible but when you are traveling and need several days worth of food, plastic is much lighter and easier to pack than glass. I am currently looking for a lightweight glass that is good for freezing and easy to pack. For now, I only use plastic that has a recycle number of 1 or 5. You find the recycle number within the recycle triangle at the bottom of the container. If it has a number other than 1 or 5 or no number at all, don't use it. The chemicals in other plastics attach to your food and can cause several health issues including cancer and hormone imbalance. Gladware and Ziploc are made with number 5 plastic and are inexpensive. Be sure to let your meals cool completely before placing them in the individual containers. No matter what number the plastic is, you should never place hot food, or heat food in it. If the label says "microwave safe", that only means it won't melt in the microwave, it doesn't mean the chemicals aren't mixing into your food. Once the food is divided into their individual containers, put a label on the lid and place them in the freezer.


Now that your freezer is full, all you have to do is fit enough meals for your trip in your cooler tote, add a few already cut up veggies and some nuts, crackers, or other snacks and you are prepared for a healthy trip.

I will be posting some great freezer recipes, starting with my easy and delicious Garden Chili.


As always,

Here's to Life, Love, Health and Happiness! Cheers!