As we begin to approach colder months, many migrate to “comfort” foods and those foods that are quick to make, because let’s face it, we are all a little tired (am I right?). These comfort foods are not always the healthiest, and can lead to unwanted weight gain. With this in mind, we as a clinic have brain stormed some of our ideas and tricks for making healthy freezer meals to make meal planning easier. Keep in mind that these freezer meals do require a bit of preparing in advance, but it is well worth it.
- Stir Fry or Fajita Bags
In our household, we cut up carrots, peppers, onions, bok choy, and broccoli and throw them into a freezer bag for stir fries. Depending on your choice of meat, cook the meat as well (in whatever sauce you desire) and place that in the same freezer bag. When you go to prepare the stir fry, simply empty the content of the bag into a skillet and heat until it is cooked through. Add the desired sauce and heat for 5 minutes more, and then serve! For doing fajita bags, we cook the fajitas in advance, so we cook the vegetables (peppers and onions generally) and chicken or beef with the sauces. When we are done having our fill of it, we freeze it in a bag. When we go to use it again, we simply throw it in a wok and heat it up for that meal. – Dr. Elisha Cook ND
- Chilli
We will do a double batch of ground beef (you can always consider using ground turkey or chicken instead) when making tacos or warps for supper. We will eat that for a couple of days – whether it is lunch or supper. Once we are all bored, I turn the ground beef into a quick pot of chilli. We will add all the vegetables in the fridge that need to be used up, a can of kidney beans, a can of chickpeas, a can of black beans and a jar or two of stewed tomatoes or tomato sauce. Add whatever spices you deem necessary for your chilli, and presto you have one big batch of chilli. Eat whatever you want of that, but put the reminder in single packages in the freezer for quick grab and go meals. – Jessica Yates RCRT
- Breakfast Sandwiches
Begin by cooking up your choice of meat – either bacon or round sausage – but if you would like to try something healthier, consider turkey bacon, turkey sausage, or ham. Cook a tray full of whisked eggs (consider chopping up spinach and throwing it in the eggs for extra healthy points) and toast all of the buns in the oven. Then assemble with a slice of cheese. Wrap the sandwich in a damp paper towel that has been rung out and then wax paper and put it in the freezer. When you are ready to eat one, just pop it out of the wax paper and put it in the microwave for 1.5-2 minutes to heat it up. This makes for a quick and easy breakfast that can be packed to bring to work and microwave. – Kaitlyn Rowland RMT
- Pineapple Chicken
Make pulled chicken, adding whatever sauces you generally would, and place in a freezer bag with some pineapple (for ease we just open a can of pineapple and throw it in with it). Pull the meal, and place in a crockpot in the morning when you are ready to make it for supper. It can be added to a meal with vegetables, rice, potato, or whatever you want to pair with it. – Dee Mosburger (Medical Administrator)
- Meat and Vegetable Mixture
I cut up a lot of peppers, celery, mushrooms, and onions approximately 1 to 2cm pieces. Fry them up and add ground beef or ground chicken. When it is all cooked, drain off any grease and mix some barbeque sauce with your mixture. We have that for supper and freeze the rest in supper time quantities. It is great by itself or paired with rice. – Laurie Ransom (Clinic Manager)
- Soup
Make your favourite soup and make sure that it is loaded with vegetables! Once you are done making it, have had your share, and are ready to freeze it, place the soup in one of two types of vessels: a freezer bag or a mason jar. For bigger portions, use a freezer bag. The nice thing about the freezer bag, is when you go to heat the soup up in a crockpot while away at work, simply cut the bag off, and place in the crockpot on low for 6 hours. Alternatively, to make a quick grab and go lunch, place the soup in a mason jar so you can grab it from the freezer when you are running out the door. It may not be completely thawed by lunch, but it is nothing that a microwave cannot fix. If you are trying to avoid using a microwave, you can consider pulling the soup from the freezer the night before and heating it before work to place in a thermos. – Sherilee Vorne CMA CPA (Clinic Controller)
- Sheppard’s Pie with a twist
This meal is by far one of my favourite comfort meals. A lot of times, Sheppard’s pie is not always the best when it comes to making healthier choices. In our home, we swap beef for ground chicken, and regular potato for sweet potato. Cook your meat, vegetable, and sweet potato as you normally would for this meal. Assemble your Sheppard’s pie (meat, vegetable, sweet potato in order of bottom to top respectively) in a freezer safe container such as a casserole dish and place in the freezer with tinfoil to cover. This meal is best cooked from a thawed state at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, but it can be done from frozen, it just takes longer. – Dr. Elisha Cook ND
- Casserole
I cook up a chicken (usually it is left overs), cut it up or shred it, and mix it with 1-2 cans of cream of mushroom soup (consider making your own or using low sodium options for alternatives) with a cup of milk. Combine this with frozen (or cut up) vegetables of your choice, salt, pepper, and whatever spices you desire. Mix it all well and put it in a casserole dish in the freezer. – Dee Mosburger (Medical Administrator).
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Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in any of the above therapies to help you work through your health concerns and are wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact the Plattsville Natural Health Clinic by calling 226-232-7665 and book your appointment today!
I preface this article with a brief explanation on Chinese medicine. In Chinese medicine, many of the pathologies are based on external influences. For example, if one is out in the rain too long, they could develop excess dampness internally leading to such symptoms as arthritis, a cold or a sore throat. As such, food is very important in combating these different external forces. With that being said, it is important to understand which foods are hot, cold, dry, or damp in nature and to consume them in a balanced way. In seasons such as summer, it is important to consume more foods that are cool or cold in nature to combat the external effect of heat on the system. The food list below is not explicit, but does give a good idea as to some different foods one can incorporate into their diet to stay cool during warmer temperatures.