What to Put in Your Freezer for Weight Loss Success This National Frozen Foods Month

In this article: 

• March is National Frozen Foods Month.
• It’s a good time to take inventory of what’s in your freezer. 
• While some frozen foods are low in nutrients or ultra-processed, others can support healthier eating.
• Look for lean proteins, plain vegetables, and whole grains.
• For dessert, swap fatty and sugary ice cream and baked goods for unsweetened fruit and portion-controlled treats.
• Whole-grain waffles and English muffins can be better options than frozen options with sausage or bacon.
• Lark can help you establish healthy habits during Heart Health Month and beyond with 24/7 coaching towards your health and weight loss goals.

Frozen foods can help you eat healthier with less effort. National Frozen Foods Month in March offers a good opportunity to stock your freezer with healthy foods. While some frozen foods are ultra-processed and low in nutrients, others can be ideal for putting together nutritious meals in minutes. 

Frozen foods can have these benefits.

• They can be available if you haven’t gone shopping in a while
• They’re quick to prepare; for example, fruits and vegetables are usually already peeled, chopped, and ready to use
• You can purchase them when they’re on sale and store them until you need them
• They let you eat out-of-season produce affordably

Here’s what to look for when choosing frozen foods, and some of the worst and best foods to keep in your freezer when you’re trying to lose weight and eat better.

Frozen Non-Starchy Vegetables

It’s a good idea to fill half of your plate with vegetables at most meals, and frozen vegetables can help. If you think of frozen vegetables as mushy, nutritionless, or boring, think again. Developments in freezing technology allow for frozen vegetables that are higher in quality, retain more fiber and other nutrients, and come in more varieties. 

Choose: Plain vegetables without added salt or sauces. Broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, green beans, carrots, and sugar snap peas are common single-vegetable choices. You can also look for combinations like mixed vegetables, fajita vegetables, stir fry vegetables, and zucchini and yellow squash blend. 

Limit: Vegetables in creamy, buttery, or cheesy sauces that are high in fat or calories, vegetables in salty/high-sodium or sugary sauces like teriyaki sauce, and vegetables with a high amount of refined carbohydrates mixed in, like vegetables with white rice, noodles, or pasta. Limit onion rings, battered mushrooms, and other fried and battered vegetables.

Try: Make low-carb “pasta” with frozen spiralized zucchini or carrots, olive oil, and turkey meats. Try low-carb “fried rice” with frozen riced cauliflower, frozen mixed vegetables, egg or egg whites, and cooked diced chicken or shrimp. Try a cheesy brown rice casserole with frozen broccoli, spinach, or green beans, or make scrambled eggs with frozen spinach, onions, or zucchini. Make a quick soup with any types of vegetables, beans, and low-sodium broth. 

Frozen Proteins

Include protein in most meals and snacks to stay more full and support muscle mass. Frozen options can help you keep lean and nutritious sources of protein at the ready, and they can be inexpensive. Freeze raw protein in proper portions for a single meal, or purchase frozen cooked ready-to-heat proteins or raw individually frozen (IQF) choices like salmon fillets. 

Choose: Fish like salmon, tilapia, swai, halibut, and cod. Other lean protein sources are skinless chicken breasts and tenderloins, ground turkey in rolls or in individual patties, and seafood like frozen seafood mixes and shrimp. Veggie, soy, or black bean burgers are also good choices, though check the ingredients to avoid unwanted preservatives.

Limit: Breaded chicken strips, breaded fish fillets and fish sticks, popcorn shrimp, beef or pork meatballs, and beef or pork sausage patties. 

Try: For a quick meal, place cooked chicken, salmon, or veggie burgers on top of salads or grain and veggie bowls. Make healthy burgers with veggie burger or ground turkey patties on whole-grain bread with a side of heated vegetables. Toss whole-grain pasta with chicken or shrimp and marinara sauce and spinach. 

Frozen Whole Grains and Starchy Vegetables

Whole grains and starchy vegetables are high-fiber carbohydrates. Eat them in moderation for their natural fiber and other nutrients. While some whole grains come frozen, you may prefer to freeze your own. Purchase fresh whole-grain bread and freeze it, or purchase dried brown rice or whole-grain pasta, cook it, and freeze it so you can heat and use it quickly.

Choose: Whole-grain breads that are good for freezing include sliced whole-grain bread, whole-grain English muffins, whole-wheat pita, whole-grain bagels, and whole-wheat tortillas. Freeze cooked whole-grain pasta and brown rice. Frozen starchy vegetables to try are peas, corn, butternut squash cubes, sweet potato cubes, and butternut squash noodles. 

Limit: Fried potatoes like French fries, potato wedges, and hash browns, sweet potato fries, buttered garlic and Texas toast and breadsticks, and white dinner rolls, croissants

Try: Butternut squash soup with spinach and black beans, shepherd’s pie with green peas, chicken noodle soup with frozen cooked whole-grain spaghetti and mixed vegetables, frozen sweet potato cubes with egg and spinach for breakfast, whole-grain English muffin or pita pizza with marinara sauce and low-fat cheese

Frozen Fruit

The ability to store and eat out-of-season fruit year-round for an affordable price may be one of the biggest health benefits and joys of owning a freezer. Fresh berries, mangos, peaches, and melons are out of reach for most people except for a few weeks at peak season, but they’re available year-round. Look for unsweetened options to get more nutrients and fewer calories. 

Choose: Unsweetened strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mixed berries, peach slices, mango chunks, melon balls, and mixed fruit. 

Limit: Sweetened fruit like strawberries sweetened with sugar, sweetened smoothie mixes

Try: Blueberries or strawberry slices on peanut butter sandwiches, berries or peaches on oatmeal, mango chunks with lime zest on yogurt, smoothies with peanut butter or avocado and yogurt or almond milk, raspberries in spinach and chicken salad with almonds

Sweet Treats

The freezer is often a place to find something sweet to enjoy, but many frozen treats are high in calories, sugar, saturated fat, and starch. Ice cream and frozen pies and cakes are low in nutrients, but you can use the freezer to store components of healthy sweet treats. 

Choose: Unsweetened frozen fruit, 100% fruit frozen bars or ice pops, single-serve fudge pops, ice cream cups, or mini sandwiches for a decadent, portion-controlled treat.

Limit: Premium ice cream in pint or larger sizes, pies, and cakes

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Try: Blend plain yogurt with frozen fruit to make your own yogurt bars. Freeze them in muffin tin molds.

Frozen Breakfast Foods

Using frozen foods can help you get a nutritious breakfast on the busiest mornings, but choose carefully. Processed breakfast meats like bacon and sausage are high in saturated fat and sodium, and common breakfast carbs like croissants, biscuits, and hash browns are high in carbohydrates and fat. Breakfast pastries can be high in fat, sugar, and starch. Instead, look for more nutritious choices with fiber, protein, and antioxidants to start your day.

Choose: Egg white and cheese sandwiches on bagel or whole-grain English muffins, whole-grain waffles or pancakes, meatless egg and cheese scrambles

Limit: Toaster strudels and pastries, cinnamon rolls, breakfast sandwiches with ham, bacon, or sausage on croissants or biscuits, French toast and waffles with icing, breakfast bowls with sausage or bacon

‍Frozen foods can have these benefits.: Frozen whole-grain waffles with peanut butter or avocado and fruit, egg white and cheese on a whole-grain English muffin sandwich with an orange or banana

How Lark Can Help

Stocking your freezer with healthy choices can ensure that a nutritious meal is just seconds away. Lark is available 24/7 for encouragement, nutrition and physical activity coaching, and habit tracking. Lark can help you make healthy choices and establish habits that fit into your lifestyle so you can lose weight and keep it off with or without GLP-1 medications. 

Click here to see if you may be eligible to join Lark today!

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