Five Things to Love about Frozen…(food)
Have you ever said you are too busy to eat better? Or that you don’t have time to prep food after a busy day? Lucky for you, frozen food extends your options to make better choices, no matter how busy the week becomes. As part of the Together Counts™ program for healthy, active living, we realize that nutritious food comes in all varieties, and frozen food is no different.
Frozen foods have been around for a long time, but when’s the last time we gave them any thought? Here are five reasons frozen food can (and should be) part of your year-round menu planning.
- Perfect prep. All you have to do is open the bag or container your frozen food comes in. No chopping, dicing, or other prep is necessary. Talk about a time saver!
- Meal-ready anytime. With frozen, you have no excuses for not having fruit and vegetables in the house. Buy big bags on sale and you’ll be ready for a fast, easy and nutritious meal at the drop of a hat – even if your schedule keeps you busy with work and school commitments.
- Small is beautiful. No longer are certain foods out of reach for a one or two-person household. You can buy a quantity of whatever it is you like and safely, conveniently keep it on hand for whenever the mood strikes you.
- Culinary confusion crushed. It’s not hard to cook with frozen veggies. Many tasty freezer options have great recipes right on the package, so you can use that as your shopping list and for your meal prep at home, or try some of these tasty ideas this week!
- Nutritious nibbles. Frozen fruits and veggies are just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts, so stocking up on these colorful, tasty, food groups isn’t just a good time saver, it makes good nutrition sense too!
What’s in your freezer?
Kim Kirchherr, MS, RDN, LDN, CDE, FAND is an award winning registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator. She is Vice President, National Dairy Council and IGA Health & Wellness Advisor. Kim has experience in agriculture, supermarket, media (traditional and social), hospital-based health and fitness centers, and outpatient MNT programs. Kim currently serves as the Chair-Elect of the Food & Culinary Professionals Dietetic Practice Group (FCP DPG) and has served as chair of both the FCP Agriculture and Supermarket Subgroups. She is past president of Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. http://www.linkedin.com/in/kimkirchherr. For more inspiring, timely tips and recipes, visit IGABetterChoices.com.
For more meal planning ideas check out these other reads from Together Counts!