GF frozen meals?

strudel82

I've been GF for almost 3 years (diagnosed celiac) and one thing I've always had trouble finding is good, GF frozen meals that aren't loaded with fat. I've done the Light & Lean by Amy's, which are very good, but there's only a couple options and they can get boring. Any others out there I don't know about?

I do cook, but now with twin infants, my cooking time is majorly impacted.

pdworkman

Twin infants, and you think that gives you the right to complain about being busy? Kidding, of course.

With my additional dietary constraints, there aren't any frozen meals that I could eat, but I do cook from scratch, usually preparing my meals in 15-20 minutes. So maybe I can offer some convenience tips, what to do when you're too tired to cook. Keep in mind that I am grain-free and vegan, so there are probably a number of other convenience products you can add to this list that I have not included.

There are certain foods that I try to always have available to pull together into a quick meal. Things like:

- frozen veggies - heat by themselves, add herbs/spices, include in stews, top salads, etc.

- canned beans - make a quick chili, stew, or curry, have beans on toast or in a tortilla, make taco salad, throw chickpeas on top of a green salad, etc.

- split red lentils - cook super quick for a nice lentil soup, curry, or gravy

- salad greens & raw veggies - you're busy, so go ahead and get the pre-cut, pre-washed bags. Make a side salad or dinner salad, stuff a sandwich or spring roll, dip in salad dressing or peanut butter, etc.

- cooked quinoa (or you could have cooked rice, millet, or another grain - I usually just throw a bunch in the rice cooker while I'm relaxing in the evening, and put into freezer bags before bed

- tortillas or buns - I have to make my own, so I try to make a big batch whenever it is cool enough to cook and I have half an hour or so to bake. I prefer tortillas to make my own wraps, tacos, etc. but occasionally I like a bun with pb and j

- pasta or potatoes - my son really likes pasta, doesn't like potatoes that much unless they are fries or mashed. But I can't eat rice pasta. So usually I will throw pasta in the water to boil, throw a couple of potatoes into the microwave to bake, and then whip up a white or red sauce to top them with while they're cooking. I do keep some bean thread noodles, soba, and shiritaki noodles around in case I want them, but usually I would rather have potato. It's so quick and easy to pop a potato in the microwave when you need a pick-me-up. Certainly no harder than peeling the corner back on a microwavable frozen meal. Potatoes also quick very quickly if diced and boiled, or if you keep potato flakes around you can make a quick potato soup/chowder.

Meal planning can really help, especially when you are short on time and energy. We have a regular routine that we follow (leftovers Monday, pasta/potato Tuesday, tacos/taco salad Wednesday, pancakes Friday, something fun like burgers, pizza, or falafel on Saturday. My real cooking days are Thursday and Sunday, when I usually have more time to prepare something nice, and I have leftovers or quinoa & frozen veggies for lunches throughout the week.) You can look forward over your week to see what days you are going to be short on time or particularly tired, and plan for something easier that day. By planning everything out, you can do one shopping trip and not have to run out for extras or fast food.

Whenever you cook something more involved, double or triple the recipe and put the extra in the freezer in individual or family sized portions. Then you have something to fall back on those days when you really don't have the time or energy to make anything.

sfarrell1359

Gluten Free Cafe makes a Pasta Primavera and Chicken and Rice w/Pesto which are both very good and not too high on the calories. Also Glutino makes a few pasta ones that aren't too bad. Ceasars also has gf lasagna, stuffed shells, etc. Of course they are not as healthy but still taste pretty good. I've seen these either at Wholes Foods or Shop Rite.