7 FOODS TO MAKE NOW & FREEZE FOR LATER

Hey planners! 

Hope your September is off to an amazing start.  Mine has been full of travel which is quite unlike my typical routine.  Because of this, I've been having to kick my meal planning into high gear.

Meal planning around travel doesn't have to take more time out of your regular routine, just some preparation before you head out of town which may be very different than what you're used to -- aka the phone call to your local take out pizza place and eventual trip to the grocery store several days later.  Well no more!  Here are 7 foods that you can make ahead of time to enjoy after you return from traveling.  (Pst!  You're going to want to make room in your freezer.) 

1

SMOOTHIE PACKS

Let's be honest, smoothies can be a simple, sippable meal to-go, but sometimes gathering up all your ingredients and breaking out the blender just takes too many steps!  Throw everything you need into a "smoothie pack" so all you have to do is add liquid, blend it up, and you're ready to rock and roll.  Try these 3-ingredient smoothie ideas from Hello Glow. 

2

STEEL CUT OATS

Typically, the longer is takes to cook oats, the more wholesome and nutritious they are.  So for steel cut oats, the average cook time could clock upwards of 30 minutes.  Uhh... no bueno when you need to get going in the morning.  The fix?  Cook them up ahead of time so you can just heat up & head out the door.  Try this awesome technique using a muffin tin from Popsugar. 

3

SHREDDED CHICKEN

Chicken is undoubtedly on of the most versatile and liked proteins amongst family members.  Cut down your cook time to make a meal fast by freezing shredded chicken (like this from Savvy Apron) for later.  You'll be asking yourself, "What can't I use this for?!" 

4

GROUND MEAT

Ground meat is another great protein to keep on hand to make any meal complete.  Go for the highest percentage of lean (lowest in fat) that you can find (turkey included).  Learn how to cook & freeze ground meat easily from The Krazy Coupon Lady. 

5

BROWN RICE

If you're like me, you LOVE rice, but loathe the time it takes to cook it.  Cook rice once and just heat to eat by freezing.  Check out this tutorial on how to freeze brown rice from The Kitchn. 

6

HUMMUS

Hummus isn't just a delicious dip for raw veggies.  It's also a wonderful sandwich spread!  Have hummus on hand at all time by freezing it using this advice from SFGate. 

7

​HOMEMADE PIZZA

And because I know it's sooo very tempting to pick up the phone and call in a delivery pizza, I'm including tasty alternative the whole family can help with.  You gotta try these Homemade Frozen Pizza's from Live Simply when you get home. 

Which food will you try to make before your next trip? 

lindsey