March marks National Frozen Foods Month, a good time to explore new ways to use the healthy, convenient foods found in the freezer aisle at the grocery store.
Get Started: Be Freezer-Meal Savvy
- Plan ahead. Mix a variety of flavors, textures, colors and food groups to keep meals interesting and provide a wide range of nutrients.
- Keep MyPlate in mind when stocking your freezer. Fruits, vegetables and proteins are all easy to store frozen.
- Don’t get stuck in a rut. Pair quick and easy items like your favorite frozen vegetable blend with less common proteins like meat substitutes or legumes.
- When selecting frozen vegetables and fruits, avoid unnecessary added fat, sodium and sugar by checking the package’s ingredient list for anything that has been added to your produce.
- Check the sodium content of frozen protein products; sodium solutions are often used to preserve frozen proteins. Pair higher-sodium frozen proteins with no-salt-added vegetables and grains to balance the meal.
- Compare the NuVal scores on frozen entre´es. Find a meal that looks appetizing to you, then find a similar meal with a higher NuVal score and trade up for better health.
What would you find in a dietitias’s freezer?
Fruits and Vegetables:
Green Giant Just For One broccoli and carrots in italian seasoning
Hy-Vee sugar snap pea stir fry, frozen spinach
Cascadian Farms frozen edamame
Hy-Vee frozen blueberries and strawberries
Protein:
Ocean Eclipse 4-oz. salmon
Hy-Vee natural shrimp
Morning Star Farms meal starters grillers recipe crumbles
Jennie-o all-natural turkey burgers
Grains & Starchy Vegetables:
Birds Eye steam fresh brown and wild rice with broccoli and carrots
Alexia spicy sweet potato fries
Ore Ida steam and mash potatoes
Entre´es:
Kettle Cuisine angus beef chili with beans
Amy’s black bean and vegetable enchiladas
Kashi pesto pasta primavera (one of the top NuVal-scoring frozen entre´es)
Novelties:
Blue Bunny sweet freedom fudge lites
Skinny Cow mint chocolate ice cream sandwiches
Hy-Vee vanilla ice cream cups
Weight Watchers giant latte ice cream bar
View the entire March HealthyBites 
newsletter