Incorporating Frozen Foods in Your Meal Planning

Our time is precious as busy working moms.  We have reports to submit, emails to return, homes to tidy up and mouths to feed.  By nature, we want to do it all in a day’s time but we need to slow down.

I absolutely love preparing home cooked meals for my family when I have the time.  When I don’t, I rather spend the time that I have during the day bonding, helping my son do his homework or go on a short walk around our neighborhood park.  Family comes first.

Since we cannot add more hours to our days, I have learned to make some adjustments when it comes to saving time in cooking family meals.

One of the easiest and most delicious foods to prepare can be found in the freezer isle of your grocery store.   Frozen meals.  Are you surprised?  Writing about food for these past few years, I’ve learned so much about where our food comes from and how food products are prepped for consumers.  It pleases me to see the different steps brands are taking in order to achieve excellence in their products.  Frozen food brands do not fall short.

One brand in particular, ConAgra Foods has a culinary advisory board made up of esteemed chefs.  Their mission is to continue to improve and elevate their frozen meals with the best ingredients and highest quality preparation, debunking many frozen meal myths that we’ve all come to believe.

Here are just a few of the most commonly held myths regarding frozen meals:

Myth:  Frozen meals don’t compare to a home cooked meal when it comes to preparation.

I have come to find out that they do!  The vegetables in Meals like Marie Callender’s for example, are blanched before freezing.  It’s a great way to preserve them fresh, keep their beautiful color and texture for you to enjoy.

I was also surprised to find out that Healthy Choice meals use apples instead of sugar for that tart-sweetness some of us love. They also use olive oil instead of butter and a splash of red wine for seasoning.  These are some substitutions I have made when preparing a home cooked meal!

Myth: Frozen foods are a no-no when it comes to watching your weight or health conscience.

Weight management doesn’t have to come down to bars and shakes.  Now, there are so many options for you!  Healthy Choice meals for example, are portioned out for you and provide the ideal meal that satisfies you until it’s time for your next meal.

Myth:  Frozen meals are bland and boring.

Not true.  I’m a big fan of Chinese food.  To add variety to my meals, P. F. Chang’s Home Menu Meals has exceptional meals that add zest to your menu plan.   Their Shanghai Style Beef with crisp vegetables is one of my favorites. Healthy Choice also has their Café Steamers.  These are culinary-inspired meals that contain perfectly steamed, tender veggies.

Next time you visit your grocery store, don’t skip the frozen food section. Stroll the freezers and get creative in your weekly menu planning.  The variety of meals you can serve when incorporating a frozen meal will ease that time in your kitchen that you can use to spend with your family.

Disclosure: We have been compensated for sharing this post as part of a campaign with ConAgra Foods. All opinions are our own.