Before I started freezer cooking, I didn’t know that I was missing out on healthier meals, less time in the kitchen, lower grocery bill, less gas wasted in the drive thru lane, overall food bill lowered too, my husband and kids loved the added variety of these new meals.
I was desperate to free up mental space, time, money spent on fast food. And I wanted to protect the sacred time that our family spends together around 6 pm-ish. That time we spend around the dinner table where we share the highs and lows from our day. And we talk about upcoming plans, or struggles, or needs. It’s a sacred time, and as we get busier and busier, I needed to make it easier myself and all of us to keep dinner simple and easy.
Freezer cooking was always one of those things that I thought old ladies did. (Myth #1) It was one of those things that seemed overwhelming and daunting because I thought you had to spend a day to make an entire month’s worth of meals. (Myth #2) I thought it was just a bunch of mushy casseroles (myth #3) that you’d reheat in the oven.And I thought you couldn’t really “eat well” with frozen meals. (myth #4) I thought it was something that you’d spend a bunch of time on (myth #5) to save time on dinner prep later.
I was wrong about 4 of those 5 myths.
I was wrong because freezer cooking is something that I do now…and I’m not old…yet 😉
I was wrong about the setting aside an entire day thing. Turns out, all you need is 1 hour to get 10 meals made and into the freezer. (I’ll teach you more about that here.)
I was wrong about the mushy casserole limitation too. There are HUNDREDS of amazing, clean eating, healthy recipes that do beautifully when frozen, thawed and cooked. Yes, you really can eat well with freezer meals.
I was right about myth #5 though, sorta…the time investment thing. I was right that if you invested a little time upfront, you’d reap what you sowed…tenfold or more. But, you don’t have to exhaust yourself with an entire day in the kitchen!
And that is the main reason that I’ve got a total crush on freezer cooking! But come to find out, there were a bunch of other hidden benefits that I didn’t realize until I started freezing meals regularly.
Until I started doing these “FreezEasy style” meal plans and meal prep sessions every month, sometimes 2-3x per month depending on how busy we are. While our family has never been a huge “out to eat family,” the drive thru temptation was still there. I was tempted, but wouldn’t do it because it didn’t fit our overall food budget. Now that I’ve got a regular supply of freezer meals on hand, that temptation is nearly gone!
So I find that we are eating healthier meals…at home…and I’m spending less time in the kitchen. Our overall food bill has gone down…because we don’t fall into the drive thru trap at all anymore and making meals at home isn’t stressful for me.
My husband loves all the fun variety, and my kids palates are forever expanding. (They are fairly adventurous eaters, but my pickiest has discovered some new food likes…yay!)
Having a stack of meals in the freezer gives me a sense of pride, knowing that I’m armed with healthful, delicious meals to serve my family AND knowing that I didn’t have to spend half the day in the kitchen getting everything ready. For our meal plans each week, I do a mix of freezer meals (on days I know we have crazy afternoons or evenings) and “fresh meals,” where I’m making dinner start to finish from non-frozen ingredients. Having this combo has been so ideal for our busy schedule and life!
This freezer meal stack also helps me feel less overwhelmed in all the chaos, and helps me feel in control of our meal times. Feeding 5 boys everyday can be chaotic and stressful, but not anymore!!!
If you’re ready to feel less overwhelmed, feel confident in the kitchen, and serve dinner to your family with a smile still on your face, then it’s time to join the MyFreezEasy monthly meal plan program!
Erin “freezer meals rule” Chase
P.S. If you’re not sure or not ready to dive in fully, I’d really encourage you to check out my free workshop & download a sample meal plan!
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