Are you tired of the daily struggle to plan and prepare healthy meals for you and your family? If so, freezer meal prep may be the solution you’ve been looking for. Freezer meal prep involves preparing many meals in advance and freezing them raw to cook later when you need them. Not only can freezer meal prep save you time and effort daily, but it can also help you stick to a healthy eating plan and save money on groceries.
If you’re new to freezer meal prep, don’t worry – it’s easier than you might think! Here’s a beginner’s guide to getting started with freezer meal prep:
Step 1: Determine Your Goals and Needs
Before you start preparing your freezer meals, it’s important to consider your goals and needs. Think about your schedule, dietary preferences, and budget. How many meals do you want to prep, and how often? Do you need to accommodate any specific dietary restrictions or preferences (e.g. vegetarian, gluten-free, low-carb)? Answering these questions will help you choose the right recipes and determine the right amount of meals to prepare.
If you are a beginner, I suggest starting by prepping 3-4 meals at a time so you can get used to the process and prevent feeling overwhelmed. Then, once you get the hang of it, you can prep 8+ meals simultaneously.
Step 2: Choose Your Recipes
Now it’s time to choose your recipes! When selecting recipes for freezer meal prep, consider your goals and needs. Look for healthy, budget-friendly, and family-friendly options. You may also want to consider recipes that freeze well, such as soups, stews, casseroles, and marinated meats. Avoid recipes with ingredients that don’t freeze well, such as lettuce, mayonnaise, and certain types of dairy.
If you want some delicious freezer-friendly recipes, check out our recipes page by clicking HERE.
Step 3: Gather Your Tools and Go Shopping
Next, you’ll need to gather the necessary tools and supplies for your freezer meal prep. Some essential items include gallon freezer bags, labeling materials (e.g., masking tape and permanent markers), a knife, and a cutting board. You can check out my favorite tools and supplies by clicking HERE.
When shopping, to decrease feeling overwhelmed, I recommend either shopping the day before you plan to meal prep OR taking advantage of grocery pick-up and delivery services. By using grocery pick-up, you are allowing someone else to shop for you, which in turn can save you hours of time, decreasing the time and mental load of freezer meal prep.
Step 4: Prepare Your Ingredients and Meals
Once you have your recipes and ingredients, it’s time to start preparing your meals. I recommend doing this in an assembly line fashion. An example of this is to label all your bags at the same time, prep your meat into the freezer bags at the same time, and then work on one recipe at a time. This will maximize efficiency and make freezer meal prep a breeze. When packaging your meals for the freezer, be sure to label your meals with the name, date, and cooking instructions.
Step 5: Freeze and Store Your Meals
Now that your meals are prepared and packaged, it’s time to put them in the freezer. Proper storage techniques are important to ensure the longevity and quality of your frozen meals. To prevent freezer burn, be sure to seal the bags tightly with little to no air in the bags. You may also want to invest in a chest freezer if you have a lot of meals to store. To keep track of your meals, consider using a whiteboard or make a list of the meals that you have prepped in your freezer and the date they were made. Each freezer is good for up to 3-6 months, but after that, it will decrease in quality and flavor.
Step 6: Thaw and Cook Your Meals
When it’s time to eat one of your freezer meals, you’ll need to thaw and cook it properly. Fortunately, with slow cooker and pressure cooker meals, they don’t normally need to be thawed and can be thrown in frozen!
For other cooking methods, safe thawing and techniques are important to ensure the quality and safety of your meals. There are several ways to thaw freezer meals, such as transferring them to the fridge the night before, thawing them in cold water, or thawing them in the microwave (not recommended).
As for cooking, just follow the specific instructions for your recipe (e.g., oven, stovetop, slow cooker, instant pot).
Freezer meal prep is a convenient and cost-effective way to save time and eat healthier on a daily basis. By following the steps outlined in this beginner’s guide, you can get started with freezer meal prep and begin reaping the benefits. Freezer meal prep can be a simple and stress-free process, from determining your goals and needs to choosing and preparing your recipes ahead of time and freezing and storing your meals for when you are short on time.
So why not give it a try and see how it can fit into your busy lifestyle?
Haley
Want to learn more about freezer meal prep? Sign up for my FREE Freezer Meal Prep Course!
