Top 10 Freezer Stockers
Moving on with my topic of “preparing for when you are unprepared” today we are talking all about freezer stockers! My number one tip to make eating healthy easy on yourself is to ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FREEZER STOCKED WITH HEALTHY OPTIONS! By keeping your pantry and freezer stocked at all times, you will find it much easier to eat healthy because you always have heathy options at home! We have been so engrained by todays culture to believe that fresh is best and anything not fresh is not worth it. This is harmful thinking and could not be farther from the truth!
Now, I do agree with the fact that it is a great to cook at home using simple and whole ingredients. This generally helps us limit calorie, sodium, and fat intake which helps support a healthy lifestyle. However, I do not agree with the fearmongering that has gone on regarding frozen foods and let me tell you why. While most of this thinking started with the premise of avoiding frozen meals as a whole, it has since trickled down to excluding all frozen foods and frozen ingredients as a whole. First off, you can find plenty of healthy frozen meal options (a blog for another time). Secondly, frozen ingredients are not the same as frozen meals. Frozen spinach is not the same as a frozen alfredo meal that contains spinach. Frozen options can absolutely fit into a healthy diet and are my secret weapon to preparing for when I am unprepared because there is nothing more beautiful than remembering that you have a freezer stocked with healthy meal components just when you thought all healthy meal hope was lost for the evening! Here are my top 10 items to keep in your freezer at all times to make eating healthy easy on yourself!
Frozen Meat
You choose which meat you want to keep on hand here! I generally have two types: frozen shrimp and frozen 93% lean ground beef. This way I can throw together spaghetti in a pinch or make a quick shrimp stir fry on a busy week night.
Frozen Brown Rice
I generally always keep frozen brown rice on hand to use as the base for dinner bowls throughout the week. You can also use it as the “healthy starch” portion of your plate.
Frozen Stir Fry Vegetables
I keep a blend of frozen stir fry vegetables on hand because stir-frys are one of the easiest and fastest ways to build up a balanced meal! I also like the variety of vegetables that are offered in these bags.
Frozen Spinach
This iron rich green is perfect to keep on hand and blend into smoothies, toss into a veggie packed omelet, or mix into a pasta sauce to add a vegetable to your meal!
Frozen Riced Cauliflower
If there is one vegetable that is really having its moment, its cauliflower. Cauliflower pizza. Cauliflower rice. Cauliflower all around! Though I don’t think cauliflower = pizza crust, I do think that the mild flavor of this vegetable has earned it a regular spot in your freezer! You can blend it with rice to add a vegetable to your chipotle bowl or blend it into smoothies like I do! Trust me, you don’t taste the cauliflower in your smoothie and you just added a low calorie serving of vegetables to your day!
Frozen Fruit
I don’t care what blend or fruit you buy, just get some frozen fruit in your freezer! Snack on frozen mangos with yogurt, mix frozen blueberries into your oatmeal or blend frozen bananas into a smoothie!
Frozen Protein Blends
I generally buy the Birdseye protein blends which come in a variety of flavors. I like these because they feature a variety of whole grains, beans, and lentils meaning they are packed with protein and fiber! These convenient packages can be used in a variety of ways and are an easy way to throw together a healthy meal that is packed with nutrition and flavor in under 10 minutes!
Frozen Potatoes
Similar to the brown rice, keeping frozen potatoes on hand helps you build up the starch portion of your plate with a carbohydrate that will work towards your goals. I’m not talking hash browns here people, I’m talking diced potatoes that you can find in the freezer section. By keeping healthy carbohydrates on hand, we are less likely to fill the starch portion of our plate with more simple carbs like chips that won’t do as much for our body as their whole food counterpart.
Frozen Edamame
This may seem a bit random but I like to keep these on hand for an easy, protein packed snack! Unlike most vegetables, soy products contain a high quality, complete form of protein that contains all of the essential amino acids making them a great source of plant protein. You can just pop these frozen pods into the microwave for 30 seconds and pair them with your favorite carb base to build up a balanced snack that will keep you full for hours!
Ice Cream
Because life is too short to not have ice cream on hand. That’s all I have to say about that.
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Hey! I’m Lauren
I’m a registered dietitian and my goal is to give you tips and tricks to make healthy eating fun, easy, and even delicious!