Freezer Meals are way healthier than commercially prepared frozen or packaged foods, ordering in, or chowing down on snacks because you don’t have anything prepared!
I know that life can be hectic, and it is impossible to find the time to make meals from scratch every night. That’s why I’m always looking for new and easy meal ideas that won’t take up too much time but still keep me healthy and energized. So, when I heard about easy, make ahead freezer meals, one of the first things I wanted to know is: Are they healthy?
What Are Freezer Meals?
Freezer meals are pre-made dishes you can store in your freezer until you’re ready to use them. You can package them as single servings or a meal for the whole family. Imagine being able to just pop your premade dinner into the slow cooker or Instant Pot and coming home to a fresh, hot, homemade meal at suppertime.
Freezer meals can range from hearty meatballs to cheesy enchiladas, stuffed shells, and chicken pot pie. You can store them in a gallon-sized freezer bag or sealed glass casserole dish, take it out to thaw in the morning, and have a hot dinner on the table when you get home from your busy work day.
Are Your Freezer Meals Healthy?
Yes! Our recipes call for fresh, healthy ingredients, and you control how much salt or refined sugar is included in each meal. Pre-measured portions are also very helpful if you’re trying to lose weight or manage your weight better. You can’t go wrong following any of the fantastic recipes in the FreezerFit database. (Sign up to get full access to our recipe database and more!)
Store-bought frozen foods contain added preservatives, sodium, and sugar, which aren’t healthy for you. If you don’t read the labels carefully, it may be difficult to tell how many calories or how much fat is in each serving size.
And takeout meals? I don’t think I need to tell you that a fast food meal contains way too many calories and high levels of sodium, sometimes even going over your allotment for the day in just one meal!
How Can You Make Sure Your Freezer Meals Are Healthy?
If you want to make sure your freezer meals are healthy, there are a few things you can do:
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Start with a fantastic recipe: Our database has a great selection of easy make-ahead freezer meal recipes that call for fresh, high-quality ingredients. These are a great starting point for your meal prep.
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Choose nutrient-dense ingredients: When making homemade freezer meals, try to use nutrient-dense ingredients such as shredded chicken or other lean proteins, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products where possible so that your meal is as nutritious as possible.
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Be mindful of portion sizes: Even if your meal is made from healthy ingredients, it’s still important to watch your portion size. Each of our recipes contains enough for six people. If you live alone, you may want to freeze it in one- or two-serving packages. Eating the whole dish could lead to consuming too many calories or unhealthy amounts of sodium, fat, or sugar.
What Are Some Healthy and Easy Freezer Meal Recipes?
If you want some inspiration for making the best freezer meals, stock your freezer with some of these:
The Bottom Line
When it comes down to it, whether freezer meals are healthy depends on what exactly is in them and how much of each ingredient is included in each portion size. When you cook recipes from our database, you know exactly what is going into your mouth. If the ingredients used are nutritious and the portion size isn’t too large, then freezer meals can be the backbone of your healthy diet.
