By Are you looking for a healthy frozen foods list to make healthy meals even easier? Keep reading for my exclusive healthy frozen foods tips, an exclusive list and recipes!
The History of Healthy Frozen Foods
The brand name associated with many frozen foods at the supermarket happens to be the same name of the person who refined the process of freezing foods: Birdseye.
Clarence Birdseye is credited with creating a quick freezing method in 1924 which would preserve the color, nutrients, and integrity of food. He was inspired to develop this technique after learning how the Inuit indigenous peoples fished and quickly preserve daily catches in the extreme cold climates.
This technique was unlike previously used slow-freeze methods, which would cause the formation of large ice crystals. Birdseye’s quick-freezing process ended up leading to 168 patents, which cover not only the freezing technique but also the type of paper used and ink on packaging.
Are Frozen Foods as Healthy as Fresh Produce?
Frozen fruits and vegetables begin just the same as their fresh counterparts. However, fresh fruits and vegetables may be picked before peak ripeness so that they can ripen during transportation to stores.
Fruits and vegetables that are going to be frozen are picked when they are at their most ripe; washed, possibly blanched (usually tougher vegetables like broccoli) and flash frozen to inactivate the enzymes that result in them going bad. Flash frozen vegetables and fruits may have even higher amounts of nutrients!
While frozen fruits and vegetables may be slightly softer in texture when thawed, they have equivalent nutrient content to their fresh counterparts and allow you access to delicious produce all year round.
Benefits of Having Healthy Frozen Foods On Hand
Long shelf life
Less waste- thaw just what you need
Access to produce outside of regular growing season
Minimally processed
Time saving
Just as nutritious as fresh counterparts
Can lead to quicker, healthier dinner
Reduces your stress in the kitchen
Healthy Frozen Foods List
When you have the right foods on hand in your kitchen, healthy meal preparation is so much easier. Here’s my exclusive FREE downloadable list of foods to keep in your kitchen.
Quick Tips for Frozen Foods
Season your vegetables with your favorite herbs and spices
Utilize a wide variety of frozen vegetables/fruits to create delicious stir fries, soups, smoothies, and more!
Combine your frozen foods with pantry and refrigerator staples for a quick and easy meal
Keep extra bags of frozen products around for when you find yourself in a pinch with time
Use multiple textures when creating recipes – consider an ingredient’s post-frozen state [i.e broccoli will be soft, while rice will remain firm]
What Not To Do With Your Frozen Foods
Steam a bag of plain veggies and serving without any extra herbs or spices
Putting frozen fruits and vegetables directly onto salads
Ignoring proper time required to defrost frozen items, especially meats, fish, and seafood
Purchasing pre-seasoned frozen items as they can be very high in sodium
Using ingredients that all have a soft texture after cooking -i.e broccoli + cauliflower + squash. This works with puréed soups and mashes but not other recipes.
DIY Healthy Frozen Foods Tips
Vacuum sealing is a fantastic way to lock in freshness
Glass mason jars are terrific vessels for freezing liquids just be sure to leave 25% space at top to consider expansion when freezing
Do your own freezing of garden produce, or produce you find at the grocery store with these easy steps from Eating Well.
I also really like these Leak Proof Glass Containers for freezing.
You can freeze items you won’t typically find in the grocery store like
Scallions, good for 18 months
Fresh herbs, good for 12 months
Cooked grains and beans, good for 6 months
Homemade stock (water + veggie scraps + aromatics), good for 2-3 months
Homemade sauces (great way to utilize basil, parsley, or cilantro that is starting to turn), good for 2-3 months
Homemade soups (made from other freezer staples), good for 2-3 months
Bread (ends of loaves, stale pieces, etc.- great for breadcrumbs or bread pudding), 3 months
Roasted vegetables, good for 3 months
Raw vegetables, good for 6 months
Fruits (make sure to peel apples, bananas, etc. before freezing), good for 6 months
Recipe Ideas
Be sure to grab my free cooking library of e-books for many recipes you can make with healthy frozen foods!
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