Looking for zone meals that can be prepared then frozen for future use. If you have any let me know which freeze well and how long they will keep in the freezer.

I am trying to prepare a couple weeks to a months worth of meals at a time so I only have to cook once a month and be done with it.

I have had good luck making zone meatloaf and freezing it for a couple weeks at a time. Let me know if you have others.

Thanks.

Chili works very well, you can freeze a whole batch or in individualized servings.

Steel cut oats are also great in the freezer. I cook up a batch and then divide it into individual serving sizes.

I often eat fish which can also be made in batches. It's easy to thaw and re-heat. For the veggies you can make it ahead of time or just buy packs of frozen veggies and cook as needed. I generally don't use the microwave so for me it's just as easy to heat the veggies, but if you want to make it a microwave meal you can easily either re-heat the veggies or just cook them in the microwave.

I also like the chili!

This isn't an entire meal, but something the really comes in handy for me. I freeze slices of avocado. I'm the only one at my house who likes avocado slices, but one whole avocado is too much to eat at one time. Once you cut into them, avocadoes go bad quickly. Freezing works very well. I also freeze extra guacamole by the tablespoon.
____________________________________________

sue
Consultant of Zone Labs
Certified Zone Affiliate

Lost 100 lbs 15 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil. ZoneFast 1-2-3 is the best!

View my Zone Fast 1-2-3 meal photos here:
http://s531.photobucket.com/albums/...3%20Meals/

View my classic Zone meal photos here:
http://s531.photobucket.com/albums/...4/?start=0

This is something that I did this past summer because I had a huge garden and I couldn't can everything. In my freezer I currently have:

Stuffed Peppers
Eggplant Croquettes (I add tomato sauce and cheese to the frozen patties when I take them out)
Stuffed portabello mushrooms
Sundried Tomato Chicken (from the zone meals in seconds book)
Zoned Chocolate Zucchini muffins
Sue's Cowboy Caviar (which I use a block of with ground turkey burritos or chicken tacos)


I also keep frozen components like puréed yellow squash for a baked squash custard and all I have to do is defrost and add eggs and milk and put it in the oven while I get ready in the morning.

It really helps to have these prepared meals and components but you'll find that you either don't have enough freezer space, time to pre-prepare all the meals, or you'll get tired of them if that's all that you plan on eating. So, I recommend using these pre-prepared things for 1-2 meals out of the day (Ideally 1) and then for your other meals eat things that require little to no preparation like:

1/2 cup egg substitute
1 slice of reduced fat swiss cheese
+
2 1/4 bowl of blueberries


(microwave without cheese for 30-50 seconds, then stir add cheese and microwave for 10-30 or so seconds more and Viola!)
or

4 oz cheese
1 red pepper
1/2 cup hummus (for dipping the red pepper)
1 apple


or I find that cooking chicken ahead of time for chicken wraps (low-carb flat bread wraps and Wal-mart have 5 carbs after subtracting fiber) and then adding various things like nuts or apples or craisens (sparingly) or cherry tomatoes (no chopping!) makes this 1 non-prepared meal super easy.



I think I might still have some of those recipes around if you're interested in any of the frozen stuff. Good luck!

I like the ideas coming out of this!

I should add that I have recently started to prepare and freeze black beans and garbanzo beans. I have found that I can buy a bag of the beans for just about the same cost as a can.

Sure, there is some work to cook them, but after they are cooked, I split up the batch into 3-4 batches, and I freeze 3 of the batches, and keep one in the fridge for use in salads and meals.

Prior to this, I was having trouble keeping my beans because I could never use up an entire can, and would end up tossing some out. So, by freezing the beans, I can save money and I end up tossing out much less than before.

I freeze the leftovers from a can of beans (rinse the beans before freezing), and then take them from the freezer in small amounts here and there to use as needed. A tip, freeze them on cookie sheets and then place into a freezer container or bag when frozen. This make it very easy to take whatver amount you like from a tablespoon to a cup or more.

____________________________________________

sue
Consultant of Zone Labs
Certified Zone Affiliate

Lost 100 lbs 15 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil. ZoneFast 1-2-3 is the best!

View my Zone Fast 1-2-3 meal photos here:
http://s531.photobucket.com/albums/...3%20Meals/

View my classic Zone meal photos here:
http://s531.photobucket.com/albums/...4/?start=0

I used to do that, but my freezer is quite small, and it was difficult to put a cookie sheet full of beans in there!

An entire bag of beans costs about the same as a can, but the yield is 3-4 times as much.

Claire - I would love your recipes. Thanks! Do you want to post them or would you prefer my email?

When available freezer space doesn't accomodate a cookie sheet, foods like black beans avocados, etc. can be individually frozen by placing them into a Ziplock freezer bag in a single layer. It works great. :-)

Actually, I have discovered BPA-free storage containers, and I prefer to use them to store most of my foods. My storage containers go right from the freezer to the microwave. It is important to me to use products that lessen the risk of cancer for myself and my family. It is also better for the environment to use re-useable containers.

Yes, Claire, I am always looking for some fresh ideas for new recipes to try. I would also be interested!

Hey everybody! Everything has been nuts lately so I haven't had a chance to post. I'll post some recipes tonight

Thanks, Claire! I've been off for almost a week myself. We're moving so life is crazy right now!