Convenient & Nutritious Frozen Foods

I’ve written before about how to make the most of produce in the frozen foods section. No doubt, the frozen foods section remains a perfect place to stock up on colorful produce and eliminate the potential that your kitchen is without. However, today’s frozen food section is about so much more. Let Guiding Stars turn this overwhelming section into a smaller, more manageable experience highlighted by the most nutritious options. With several Guiding Stars earning convenience items that help you get meals to the table with ease, the frozen foods section can be your go to on every supermarket trip.

Breakfast

If your morning routine is leaving little time for breakfast, then a frozen option may mean the difference between a warm meal and (yet another) energy bar. Look for the Stars to find options that offer whole grains, protein, and maybe some veggies, while being low in saturated fat and sodium. Consider how you would approach breakfast if you had the time to make what you want. Maybe that would mean eggs (or egg whites), lean (or vegetarian) sausage, and possibly you would use a whole grain wrap or simply eat it without grain. If possible, seek options that mimic that way you would approach breakfast if you were the cook. Lastly, if morning smoothies are your go-to, then maybe picking up a smoothie blend or frozen fruit combination is a good choice for adding more color and variety to your day.

Lunch

Ok, maybe mastering breakfast and making lunch is a tough task on a busy morning. However, if you aren’t planning ahead for lunch, then you may end up succumbing to undesirable or expensive midday options. While some frozen meals still contain attributes to limit, such as excess sodium, the frozen foods section often offers more packaged products that serve as lunch on their own or pair perfectly with leftover chicken, shrimp, or other proteins. I like to look for Guiding Stars earning, tasty sides made from Indian, Asian, or Mexican spices to bring flavors to my meal that I may not easily create on my own. Likewise, I seek nutritious frozen options such as quinoa or other grain bowls that are like what I might pick up at a local lunch spot.

Dinner

I turn to the frozen section to help me round out my dinner or to bring interesting ingredients and flavor to a dish with less effort. I also lean on the frozen foods section when I need time-saving ingredients like finely diced veggies and cubed root vegetables.

If I want to round out the nutrition in my meal, I make it a bit more plant-forward with simple sides like steamed edamame, frozen grains, or riced veggies. It’s also my “nextover” go to. For example, simple grilled chicken from last night’s dinner is elevated when paired with frozen Mexican style street corn or a curried vegetable. Or if meatballs were on the menu, but I realize that my family has had plenty of grain already, then spiralized veggies take the place of traditional noodles. Likewise, if pasta is for dinner, then the frozen foods section helps me shake it up with Guiding Stars earning ravioli or something similar.

Frozen Foods Recipes