Nutritious and Delicious? The Family will Say Yes
March is Frozen Foods Month! What a great reminder that this section of the grocery store has so much to offer. Simply put? Every food group, every eating occasion, and every level of cooking skill can find options in the freezer aisle that work great on their own or paired with fresh and tasty favorites throughout the store.
Busy schedules are easier when the freezer is used to its full potential. Here are easy and impactful ways to help organize your thoughts and fill your freezer for optimal nutrition, time management, food waste reduction, and budget.
Consider what you already have in the freezer and what is missing to make it into a meal. This is important to start with to make everything else go smoother. Ask and answer these questions for meal planning:
- What do you typically keep in your freezer?
- Are there missing food groups?
- How much space do you have to stock up on sales and add leftovers from cooking ahead?
- What needs to be eaten next?
- Is it easy to get to what you need when you need it?
- What can the kids help with?
Make it easy and low stress to get to what you have and see what is in that freezer so you like going into it. Consider what foods are in your weekly menu rotation for meals and snacks, and keep an eye out for sales on these items to stock up on things you know you will use and enjoy.
Snap pictures. The kids can help with this one, too. Pictures of what is in the freezer and fridge at home to plan a meal on the fly along with pictures of favorite recipes so you can use them as a shopping list. Both of these will help if you left in a hurry without thinking about dinner for the day.
Keep fun on the menu! Everyone has a favorite food or snack. Encourage the whole family to think of ways to make their favorites provide maximum nutrition by adding other food groups, monitoring portions, and keeping balance in mind. It’s easy to add a frozen veggie to mac n cheese or soup, as one simple idea. How will you transform your meals with freezer finds?
