Freezable meal ideas

Sorry I don't have a lot of ideas to offer...but I am interested in other people's ideas as well. I just bought an upright freezer for our garage and my intention is to prepare more real food ahead of time for the work week. Right now, I "prepack" the ingredients for my green smoothies and freeze them in ziploc bags. I also recently made individual sized protein zucchini loaves that I thaw for breakfast. One idea for lunch/dinner I had was stuffed peppers. I can't wait to hear more ideas from others.

I only cook once a week, usually don't freeze much since I eat 2 meals a day away from home. Almost anything freezes soups, stews, chili freeze super and for a few months. When I cook a big meal for my family I portion out their leftovers and freeze labeled in Ziploc baggies. Tonight I pulled out portions of porkloin and sourkraut for mid week. I would say make sure it isn't a very dry meal usually some moisture helps with the reheating process. I usually cook a few pounds of chicken everyweek and just put it in to go containers grab and go. Example in my fridge I cooked last night 2- chicken with broccoli, 2 chicken with roasted cauliflower, 2 chicken with sweet potatoes 35 min 6 meals done

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You can make all kinds of soups, they freeze and keep nicely. I love making turkey or chicken meatloaf which I have with frozen or fresh veggies. You can bake or stew chicken with veggies, some fresh tomatoes (or canned diced tomatoes) add some spices you like, a few carrots, red/yellow pepper, freezes nice. I love making a big thick omelet with all kinds of veggies and onion and then quarter it. This works really well with a salad. You don't want starch but rice mixed with veggies freezes well (no risotto). These are just some ideas, enjoy................:flowerforyou:

My simple diet is very inexpensive and doesn't have any processed food, but it might not appeal to you -- it depends on what kind of food you like to eat. I am losing 2 pounds a week (21 pounds in 9 weeks), plus I'm never hungry.

Breakfast:
steel cut oats with 1 diced apple per 1 cup dry steel cut oats. I buy Bob's Red Mill but you can buy them in bulk at a health food store and save money. I cook a week's worth ahead of time. I eat 1 or 2 cups for breakfast with diced apple instead of sweetener. Steel cut oats taste a lot better than regular oatmeal.

Lunch:
Brown rice (you can buy organic for $4.95 a bag or rock bottom store brand for $.99 a bag)
Lentils (1 cup has the protein of 3 eggs): lentils cost about $1.20 for 1 bag in the grocery store. You can also buy them in bulk in health food stores and save even more
2 or 3 steamed, blanched, or stir-fried vegetables. For example, sliced red onion, avocado, and tomato, or steamed butternut squash and steamed kale

Dinner:
Same as lunch, but vary the vegetables

Snacks (I wouldn't freeze these):
Apples (less sugar than most other fruit and more filling)
Boiled eggs

Condiments:
Salt and pepper
Tamari soy sauce (use sparingly, has a lot of sodium)
Dry roasted/toasted sesame seeds. The sesame seeds in the grocery store are the expensive little bottles in the spice area, so I buy larger bags in the health food store. Pour in a pan with no oil or water and stir over high heat until toasted. Makes a good no sodium/no sugar condiment you can sprinkle on anything (30 calories a spoon and has a little protein).

This week I read a post on MFP that said Latino/Mexican grocery stores often sell produce at lower prices than the chain grocery stores. Today I went to the Mexican grocery store in a nearby shopping mall and found tomatoes for $1.00 a pound (compared to $1.99, 2.49 and up at the chain store), lemons and limes for 20 cents apiece, avocados for half price, etc., so you might check that out for your area.

Hope this gives you some ideas!

I received a Quesadilla Maker as a gift so I try to put it to use. I make Vegetable Quesadillas (Red Onion, Red Pepper, Green Pepper, Zucchini Squash, Yellow Squash & Broccoli with a small amount of cheddar cheese). These actually freeze really well! I cut into wedges and reheat in the toast oven and voila... a nice snack!!

Ice cube trays help you freeze liquids like soup for a quicker/easier thaw, but the extra surface area leads to more freezer burn.

Bags of raw chicken frozen in a marinade of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil with veggies make great stir fry meals. Experiment with the veggie to meat ratios to fit your tastes and macros. Hell, raw meat frozen in any marinade make a great meal. Toss the bag from the freezer to the fridge before you go to work and cook it when you get home with a salad or rice or other quick side.

I forgot about breakfast...

I take a dozen eggs and a muffin tin.. In each spot I crack an egg slightly tear the yolk dust with salt and pepper. Bake in oven at 325 - 350 for about 7 minutes (better watch them as I never really time it?). Fry up some bacon. Pop the eggs out the tin when done put 2 pcs bacon and some cheese ontop of an egg and then top with another egg! It's an egg sandwhich without the bread.