* * *
Trying these is part of a larger project of thinking about how to eat better for the two meals a day we don't cook at home. When you're running out the door for work, and the vegetables in your fridge are winter CSA turnips and squashes ... well, I eat a lot of cereal and peanut butter sandwiches.
We occasionally make a stack of burritos or wraps (easy with leftover curry or stir-fry) for the freezer, but healthy and fresh seem not to be too compatible with make-ahead and freezable (not to mention grab-and-go and eat-at-your-deskable).
When you start searching the Internet for freezable meals, you will encounter Once a Month Cooking and the fiendishly organized Midwestern moms who are spending one weekend a month making four weeks worth of dinners. (I am absolutely floored by Once a Month Mom, who offers monthly meal plans, detailed instructions, recipes, and printable freezer labels. Even if you don't drink the Kool-Aid, her "Create Your Own Menu" guidelines and index of vegetarian recipes are worth a look.)
In general, though, I wasn't that excited about the freezer recipes I found. Most are not vegetarian-friendly, nor even particularly vegetable-focused. And when they are ... this once a month vegetarian menu plan describes itself as "sort of midwestern/southwestern-casserole based" and admits, "these recipes are very low salt and bland." (Here's another vegetarian plan.)
How do you eat your vegetables away from home? What else can we make ahead and freeze?
Posts
I'm lucky enough to work in a place with ample fridge space and that's reasonably close to a Trader Joe's, so I usually shop for the week on my Monday lunch break. Their bags-o-prepped veggies and salad greens usually end up in all manner of wrap/sandwich/salad combos. I also stock up on their heat n' serve Indian meals (sodium city, but whatevs), couscous and frozen veggies for lunch emergencies.
ReplyDeleteAs for breakfast, McCann's instant oats + raisins, on repeat.
I am intrigued at the concept of cooking ahead for weeks at a time, but know in my heart that I'd do it once fueled by curious enthusiasm, and probably never again. My method works, as long as I never don't work near a TJs.
-Ashley P.
p.s. Love this blog! Nathaniel got me hooked way back when.