MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR FREEZER

Following on from my previous article about which items are best stored in the fridge or freezer, today I want to open your eyes up to the world of freezing, because no doubt there is so much more you could be freezing and making your life so much easier!

I personally have two freezers at my house and I still struggle for room! Having ingredients or meals in the freezer means there’s no excuse to not have a healthy meal, it cuts down on shopping trips and it helps reduce food waste - it’s a win all round.

So here are all of the things you can freeze…

• Nuts, seeds and nut and seed meal (eg. almond meal)

• Raw or cooked (steamed, roasted, stir fried) veggies

• Cauliflower rice (raw or cooked)

• Zucchini noodles (raw or cooked)

• Cut up raw or cooked fruit

• Avocado (mash or in wedges)

• Cooked or raw protein

• Burgers

• Patties

• Meatballs

• Sauces

• Soups

• Curries

• Stews

• Bakes

• Cooked chickpeas

• Cooked beans

• Cooked lentils

• Cooked grains

• Smoothie contents (the solid ingredients)

• Lemongrass, chillies, kaffir lime/bay/curry leaves

• Chopped onion

• Bread (cut into slices)

• Wraps and tortillas

• Loafs, muffins, protein balls, cookies

• Grated cheese (hard variety)

• Butter

• Milk

• Herbs (place in ice cube tray with a bit of stock and use in stews/curries etc OR place in icecube trays with some oil OR lay flat and freeze as is then store in container)

• Stock and bone broth (portioned in food pouches)

• Eggs and egg whites (crack into muffin moulds and allow to defrost before using for baking etc).

• Red wine

• Bits and bobs: I keep a container in my freezer for leftover bits and pieces that can be used in stock, soups and slow cooks, for example veggie scraps, half onions or herb leftovers and I add to the container until I have enough to make a stock, soup or slow cooked meal.

Tips:

One of my pet hates is unnecessary plastic so it’s a good idea to invest in some silicon food pouches to use instead of zip lock bags for freezing (if you do use or currently have zip lock bags be sure to wash and re-use them). Another good idea is silicon muffin trays (big and small sizes) so you portion things out to freeze and then once frozen you can store in a container.

Be sure to label things in the freezer including what it is and the date it went into the freezer.

If you have any other tips for freezing I would love to hear them so comment below!