As much as I love using fresh, whole foods to build my meals on a daily basis; sometimes I need to lean on my freezer as a backup. I will show you the 10 healthy freezer staples I keep on hand and how I use them to create simple, delicious, nutritious meals when I’m in a pinch and/or short on time.

Watch what I buy and how I use them
After sharing my 10 healthy fridge staples a few weeks back, I had a lot of requests for freezer and pantry (coming soon!) staples as well. So I am excited to share the freezer version of that video, highlighting the foods I keep on hand and how I use them.
Keeping simple staples on hand makes healthy eating so much easier for myself and my family. I stick to some of our favorite ingredients and then reach for them all week long to make super simple, delicious, nutritious meals. Watch to see some of my favorites.
Be sure to scroll down to see the list of my 10 go-to ingredients. It’s amazing how many meals and snacks can be made when you have these ingredients on hand.
[ytp_video source=”_Wv9HyiJhCw”]
10 Healthy Staples I have In My Freezer:
- Frozen fruit: mango, pineapple, avocado, bananas, blueberries, strawberries + raspberries
- Frozen rice: brown, jasmine + a rice medley that I usually buy at Trader Joe’s
- Frozen tortillas and/or English muffins
- Soup or chili: always cook once and eat (at least twice), often this looks like lentil soup, turkey chili, or minestrone soup
- Sweet treat or grab-n-go breakfast: peanut butter oat bars, chocolate chip cookies, or breakfast sandwiches
- Grass-fed meat, organic chicken, heritage breed pork: all from Butcher Box
- Salmon + Scallops: again, from Butcher Box
- Frozen veggie burgers: Dr. Praegar’s are my fave
- Frozen veggie dumplings: from Trader Joe’s, my kids are obsessed
- Truffle flatbread: from Trader Joe’s, not super clean – but SO good
- Frozen peas + edamame: kids love frozen peas as a snack and edamame is great in lunch boxes
And one last thing I can’t believe I forgot to include in the video is frozen yogurt. I like to buy organic, lower-sugar tubes of yogurt (I’m a big fan of Siggi’s) and leave them in the freezer as a cold and creamy sweet treat for the kids. Like an ice pop, but less sugar.
10 Healthy Meals Using My Freezer Staples
I have a lot of go-to meals and snacks that I make using my freezer staples, so be sure to watch the video above for more ideas! But here is a list of some of the go-to meals and snacks we turn to, using our freezer staples.
- Strawberry banana smoothie
- Berry Hemp Smoothie
- Rice + black beans (mix frozen rice with canned black beans + season with salt, pepper + garlic powder)
- Veggie dumplings with edamame
- Veggie Chili or Lentil Soup
- Mushroom flatbread served with raw veggies
- Sprouted toast English muffin with nut butter and berries (or bananas)
- Shredded bbq chicken + slow cooker pulled pork
- Easy baked salmon
That’s just a handful of the recipes I turn to when I need something easy and/or if I’m in a pinch. All of these options are delicious and they certainly beat the alternative of grabbing fast food or ordering a pizza.
How I Organize My Freezer
The photo above gives you a little peek and most certainly provides a more thorough walkthrough in the video, but here is the general idea.
The top drawer is my smoothie drawer. This is where I keep all of my frozen fruits (berries, mango, avocado, etc.) and my frozen rice. They don’t necessarily go together, but that’s how I can fit it all in my freezer.
So top drawer is rice and smoothies, lol.
The center drawer has a combination of grab and go options like flat bread, veggie burgers, leftover soups and oat bars (or any other sweet treat I may have whipped up). Energy balls are great for the freezer.
The bottom left is all of my frozen meats and the bottom right is frozen veggies + seafood.
That’s the general idea, but again, for more clarity be sure to watch the video.
More Helpful Healthy Eating Posts
I’d love to know if you try this (or any) recipe! Tag @clean_and_delicious on Instagram to let me know and be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy, delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Comments
Lisa says
As always, you’re my favorite teacher! And yes, I’d love a “top spices” video. I also share your lessons with my son in college who is learning to cook! Thank you for what you do!
Dani says
Thanks for the support, Lisa! So great that you can share this with your son!
Rebecca says
Thank you! I love your videos. I am exploring ways to eat healthier and trying different spices to make flavorful dishes, so I would also like to see a blog or video on spices if you get around to that topic.
Dani says
Thanks for the request Rebecca! I hope to share a spice video soon.
Sophie De Zilwa says
MANY THANKS!
Dani says
My pleasure!