20 Vegan Freezer Meal Prep Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How many freezer meals should you make? ›

If your maternity leave is short or you plan to eat out regularly, then 10-20 freezer meals should do the trick. But if you have more time before the baby comes or if you plan on eating at home most of the time, then 30-50 freezer meals might be more suitable for your family.

Great news, according to the USDA, frozen meals are safe to eat indefinitely. However, after about three months, the quality (i.e. flavor and texture) of food can degrade. Therefore, we recommend eating foods within three months of stashing them in the freezer.

On most days of the week, you'll want to rely on fresh meals — or tasty leftovers. “At the end of the day, I would limit frozen meals to no more than twice a week,” notes Taylor. But when you need the convenience of a frozen entrée, these tips can guide your choices.

While frozen meals are a convenient way to eat a balanced meal, it's easy to be led astray–they're also known for being packed with sodium, calories, and saturated fat, making moderation important.

It depends on the cut. A whole chicken or turkey can be kept in the freezer for up to one year. Chicken or turkey in pieces can be kept in the freezer for up to nine months. Ground chicken or turkey is best consumed within three to four months if frozen from the date of purchase.

Fridge vs Freezer Storage

This includes prepped soups, stews, chicken and rice, and salads. The main drawback of storing meal prep food in the fridge is that it can dry out easily. A freezer is an ace option for meal preps that will be eaten more than four days later. This includes pizza, pasta, meat, and veggies.

Root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and beets freeze and reheat well whether they are fresh or cooked. Even roasted cauliflower works! But veggies that have more tender membranes will not freeze well on their own. For example, zucchini will turn to mush if you freeze it.

The best vegetables to consider are corn, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, squash and winter greens such as spinach, kale, chard and collards. Onions, peppers, celery and herbs can also be frozen.

Can I freeze pasta? ›

To keep pasta fresh for several months, opt for the freezer method. Even if you just want to store fresh pasta for more than a day, you should freeze it rather than refrigerate it. If left in the refrigerator for too long, the humidity may alter its flavor and texture or encourage the growth of bacteria.

Yes, you can. Freezing mashed potatoes is a great way to plan for the holidays or avoid wasting any leftovers.

- Texture changes - Some foods can become unpleasantly soft or mushy when frozen and thawed. This can ruin the intended texture of the food.

Raw defrosted food may be frozen once more, only if it has been cooked after defrosting and before re-freezing. Never leave food to defrost in a warm place (defrosting in the fridge at 5C is the safest way to do it), cover loosely, and ensure it is thoroughly defrosted before cooking - cook food soon after defrosting.

According to senior food editor Rick Martinez and Robert Ramsey, chef instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education, you can refreeze and re-thaw food—but just because you can doesn't mean you should. At ICE, Ramsey and his colleagues have a blanket rule: "If something's been frozen once, that's it."

When is it safe to refreeze food? You can safely refreeze frozen food that has thawed—raw or cooked, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. To safely refreeze, the thawed product must have been kept cold at 40 degrees or below for no more than 3-4 days.

Overfilling the freezer can block air vents, restrict the flow of cold air, and overtax your refrigerator's condenser, which could lead to a burn out.