No, and maybe yes!
After years of never having enough freezer space, we bought a standalone freezer chest a few years ago. Excited and so ready, we immediately filled it with bags of frozen veggies and fruit. In fact, we realized that we could pay for our annual Costco membership based on savings from purchasing organic blueberries year-round. So true!
Freezer overload.
Then it happened. We kept eating the veggies in front, on top, in sight.
What about that unmarked bulk bag of cauliflower rice? Or the just-in-case bag of frozen peppers at the bottom? Or that little bag of frozen corn that has been MIA and that you keep thinking you need to replace so you buy 12 more (I kid you not).
Don’t get me wrong.
I love my freezer.
- During the pandemic, we lived out of the freezer along with our pantry for weeks without having to go to the store for much. (Another plant-based benefit to eating beans, grains, pasta, etc.)
- And during an 8-day blackout, our frozen veggies all tightly packed together kept each other at least very cold and safe to eat for several days.
- And for all those last-minute dinners with no plan, the contents of the freezer always revealed a secret ingredient or swap that can make a quick and easy dinner work.
But it soon became clear. My extra freezer had become the equivalent of our frozen ‘junk drawer’.
We needed a plan.
Here is the plan we found to work best when we’ve batch shopped but not batch cooked – Freezer-first. Every dinner must include something from the freezer, until further notice!
Here is an example of what some of our freezer-first meals have looked like.
- Leftover pastry sheets from a holiday pot pie (not healthy but vegan) used in muffin cups with the last of the open bags of peas, corn, spinach, peppers and onions, mixed with some cubed tofu and leftover BBQ jackfruit for mini pot pies.
- 4 bags of frozen corn made into corn soup
- Many smoothies made with frozen spinach, kale, berries, mango, bananas, etc. Some refrozen into individual smoothie portions.
- A 10-16oz bag of frozen veggies of any kind added to every pasta dish.
- Adding frozen pomegranate seeds to every salad or just enjoy as a summer dessert
Our freezer-first plan worked.
It’s not so bad, really. When we put our plan into action, lots of good things happen.
- We save money (basically free) and eat healthy. Frozen veggies can be more nutritious than grocery store fresh.
- We laugh about mixing and matching some of the random ingredients, sort of a culinary version of Apples to Apples when the only card you have left in your hand is the one about Elvis.
- We get the opportunity to defrost the freezer chest and clean it out before the next run to Costco.
- And when we still have too much of one thing (did I mention corn soup), it is a good excuse to make a double batch of something and invite over some friends.
These freezers should really come with better instructions! You might want to tape these to yours!
ps. If you would like to learn more tips and lean into healthy aging by eating more plant-based for good, fresh or from the freezer, consider joining my Eat to Heal Over 50 Group program. Got any questions? Let’s chat.
