Tips for freezing the food by "Gillian Mckeith"
The excuse I hear more than any other for putting off embarking on a healthy eating plan is lack of time. This mentality, coupled with a habitual reliance on convenience foods, such as ready made frozen meals, is unnecessarily sabotaging to many people's health.Well, it's time for the excuses to end. Making your own frozen meals that will be more nutritious, made from better quality ingredients, tastier and cheaper has never been easier! You'll also know exactly what you are eating and can customize these meals to suit your own tastes and adapt to what is in season also. What's more, making your own meals to freeze will cut down on all the plastic packaging that comes with frozen meals and fast foods that are not good for your health or the environment.
Preparation and storage tips that can be applied to many dishes:
• Stock up on freezer safe containers. Glass containers with lids are ideal as are those that are oven proof as well. Have a range of sizes available so that you can portion food out according to the number of people you are feeding. Freezer bags may also be useful.• Cool food as quickly as possible and thoroughly before putting it in the freezer or fridge. It will cool more quickly if it is transferred out of the pot or dish in which it was cooked. Large amounts of food should be divided into smaller portions to speed cooling.
• Do not fill containers to the top as food will expand during freezing.
• Whether freezing or refrigerating, always cover food with a lid. If putting food in the fridge for use in the next day or two, it is fine to put it in a bowl covered with plate. Use air-tight containers for the freezer or for packed lunches.
• Raw salads should not be frozen. It is fine to make enough of most salads for 2 days and to refrigerate them overnight. If you wish to store green salad leaves overnight, only put dressing on the amount of salad that you are going to eat that day.
• Label and date foods before you freeze them. You will forget what they are otherwise and when you originally prepared them!
• Keep a list of what you have in the freezer – check off each item as you remove it.
• Avoid leaving meals in the freezer for months on end. Ideally use them within a few weeks to maintain flavour and texture.
• Avoid over-cooking vegetables or vegetable based dishes if you plan to freeze them. They will end up mushy and over-cooked when you re-heat them.
• If you defrost something and it looks or smells bad, discard it.
Foods that freeze well:
• Baked goods such as breads, pies and bakes.• Burgers such as chickpea or aduki bean burgers.
• Casseroles, curries and stews: aduki bean stew and lentil curry or dahl.
• Soups – assuming they don't contain cream.
• Cooked beans – when cooking beans from scratch, cook more than you need and freeze the rest.
They are invaluable for creating quick, nutritious meals from scratch.
• Cooked grains – the texture may be slightly different once defrosted.
• Sauces and gravies.
About the Author:
I am a professional content writer. Now my article is on GillianMckeith which is UK top Nutritionist. Gillian Mckeith provides best solution for diet and suggest what to eat. I suggest you to visit You ARE WHAT YOU EAT .
