Healthy freezer meals for 1?

[beaucoup]

I want to stock my freezer with homemade freezer meals for 1. And I would like them to be healthy as I would like to lose some weight in 2011. I'm sort of a plain eater, but have recently started branching out and trying some new foods.

Seems many freezer recipes include pasta, sauces & cheese. Fattening.

Any favorite recipes I can package into single portion?

Or just basic tips for what recipes to look for that will hold up in the freezer.

 

[vettechick99]

In case you decide to buy processed, I really love Smart Ones. They are pretty awesome for being "diet", especially any of the ones with marinara or parmesan sauce.

 

[ilovepete]

Most all soups and stews do really well in the freezer. You can make things like meatballs or tukery burgers and freeze.

Most everything freezes pretty well. I've found its easier to figure out what can't be frozen than what can, the list is much shorter.

The University of Illinois Extension Service has developed a list of foods that probably should not be stored in the freezer as well as the reasons why:

Food Result of Freezing
Cheese in blocks Crumbles
Cooked egg white Crumbles
Cottage cheese Separates; becomes mushy
Cream pies Watery custard; soggy crust
Custards Watery
Eggs Cooked eggs become rubbery; raw yolks and whites become gummy
Gravy Fat separates; whisk when reheating
Green onions, tomatoes Watery, limp; OK for cooking
Lettuce Watery, limp
Mayonnaise, milk, milk sauces, sour cream, yogurt
Some separation
Potatoes, raw Texture changes; may darken
Radishes Poor texture; pithy

 

[beaucoup]

Most all soups and stews do really well in the freezer. You can make things like meatballs or tukery burgers and freeze.

Most everything freezes pretty well. I've found its easier to figure out what can't be frozen than what can, the list is much shorter.

The University of Illinois Extension Service has developed a list of foods that probably should not be stored in the freezer as well as the reasons why:

Thanks. Just noticed your blog link in your sig. I'll check it out.

Anyone have other blogs to look at?

 

[marcyinPA]

I freeze things like soup, lasagna, meatloaf. I will often make something for dinner, and then freeze the leftovers in single serve sizes for quick meals and for when my husband travels (he takes them frozen, heats them in hotel microwave).

For the past few years, every time I make meatloaf, I make two: one to eat that night, and one to freeze for another time.

The only kind of soup I wouldn't freeze is creamy soup. I don't think it would hold up well.

 

[C.Ann]

Thanks. Just noticed your blog link in your sig. I'll check it out.

Anyone have other blogs to look at?

Someone recently told me about a site called myfitnesspal.com - for another family member of mine.. I haven't been to it - don't know if there are recipes or not - but it's supposed to be a great site to track your weight; find out the number of calories in all of the foods you eat (even take out and such); exercises; and lots of other useful info..

That might be helpful if you want to learn the number of calories in anything you are planning to cook yourself and freeze..

Good luck!

 

[AKL_Megs]

Someone recently told me about a site called myfitnesspal.com - for another family member of mine.. I haven't been to it - don't know if there are recipes or not - but it's supposed to be a great site to track your weight; find out the number of calories in all of the foods you eat (even take out and such); exercises; and lots of other useful info..

That might be helpful if you want to learn the number of calories in anything you are planning to cook yourself and freeze..

Good luck!

I did myfitnesspal for about five months and lost 20 pounds! My dinners were usually a >200 calorie Lean Cuisine and a big leaf and veggie salad. I also worked out... But it's a GREAT motivator!

 

[katesorad]

I freeze soup and pasta sauce regularly! Something very healthy that you can have with pasta sauce, rather than pasta, is polenta! Just bake it in the oven and dip it in the sauce.. yummy!

Smart Ones probably makes the best tasting frozen meals, though, if that's the route you're going. Lean Cuisine makes a really good Santa Fe Style Rice and Beans (Better than the Smart Ones option of the same meal), and Healthy Choice meals, while having a large variety, are disgusting, in my opinion. I recently picked up a bunch of them because they came out with so many new options, and they were all disgusting. I couldn't finish any of them! It was awful.

But make a healthy veggie soup! Start with a chopped onion, add minced garlic, and cook it up in a big pot with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Then add in whatever vegetables you like! I use carrots, celery, zucchini, and daikon, then I add a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, a few cans of low sodium veggie broth, and 2 or 3 tablespoons of Italian Seasoning, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Bring it to a boil and cook for 3-4 hours. When it's done, it'll be DELICIOUS! And you can freeze it and thaw it whenever you want to eat it! Less than 100 calories for a big bowl

 

[charming23]

I freeze a lot of soups into individual portions to have as quick and healthy lunches. My favorites are chicken noodle, made with whole wheat noodles, and vegetable soup. I load that one up with as many veggies as I can.

 

[Liberty Belle]

sparkpeople.com is another good website to check out.

 

[scottishduffy]

I make several soups that I freeze in single serving sizes as my husband loves to have soups. I do split pea soup, lentil soup, and butternut squash/apply bisque.

I can cook meatloaf in muffin tins to make small single serving sizes and then wrap them in aluminum foil to freeze. Chicken Burritos also work well and I wrap them individually. I will also make crab cakes and wrap them individually. These can be cooked straight from the freezer which makes them very convenient.

Besides that the standard lasagnas will make their way into my freezer. I keep some marinated chicken breasts and chopped chicken cubes in ziplocs to use for chicken sanwiches or stir fries. Marinated steak strips are also great for kabobs and stire fries and will always have a spot in my freezer. I have 2-3 flavors in the marinade in the freezer. As they they thaw they marinate.

 

[ilovepete]

Thanks. Just noticed your blog link in your sig. I'll check it out.

Anyone have other blogs to look at?

If you Google "Once A Month Cooking" or "OAMC" for one, you'll find a lot of stuff!

 

[Hootiss]

When I make black bean burgers I will make several extra to freeze. To heat them up I pop them in the microwave for a minute then finish them on a little George Foreman. Extremely fast and easy

For store (USA) bought I loved, think it was Lean Cuisine, Butternut squash ravioli and Smart One's Santa Fe style rice and beans.

It is hard cooking for one, I think it is a great idea make extra and freeze individual servings. Good luck!

 

[dakcp2001]

Stir fry freezes well into individual portions.

You guys really like Smart Ones? I hate them! I prefer Lean Cusine by far. To each his own I guess.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I make chili and freeze it in individual portions to take for lunch sometimes. I make all kinds, sometimes just vegetarian and sometimes with either ground beef or turkey.

 

[katesorad]

Stir fry freezes well into individual portions.

You guys really like Smart Ones? I hate them! I prefer Lean Cusine by far. To each his own I guess.

I really do like a lot of Smart Ones meals! I love their mac & cheese and the fettuccine alfredo with broccoli. Yummy! I'm a vegetarian, so there is always a smaller selection for me in those meals, but Smart Ones can be pretty impressive! But Lean Cuisine is great as well. I've noticed, also, that Smart Ones can be lower in calorie, which makes for a great afternoon snack when I have calories left over from breakfast or lunch!

 

[Robindianne]

Can fellow DISser ask a couple of related questions?

1 - What type of container do you freeze soup in? I like the idea of baggies due to fit in the freezer.

2 - Also, I made a pasta salad dish and froze it once; when thawed the noodles were the consistency of cereal boxes. They were rice macaroni noodles (glutin free). Do you think that's because of the type of noodles I used? Container? other? (I want to try freezing lasagna and such like you all)