Can I Freeze These Foods?

Question

I am disabled and can't get out shopping very often. I have neglected proper nutrition because when I do get out to shop, I buy mostly "pantry" goods because fresh produce goes bad quicker than I can eat it.

I know I need to eat healthier, so I am trying to think of creative ways to keep fresh food from going bad so fast.

For example, I like to make veggie wraps, with chopped onions, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, etc. If I prepare them beforehand when my produce is fresh, can I freeze the prepared wraps? Or would they get ruined?

Also, what about freezing produce in general? Can I just chop up veggies in bags and freeze them? Which veggies freeze well and which don't? Can you freeze lettuce?

What else? Any other food ideas that I can prepare fresh and freeze for later?

I know that's a bunch of questions, but any answers and/or tips would be appreciated; thanks!

Answer 1

Veggie wraps aren't going to freeze well because the veggies will be soft and mushy when they defrost. Some veggies do freeze very well, but they usually need to be blanched first. Here's an excellent site that tells you how to freeze most veggies successfully:



http://www.ext.colostate.edu/Pubs/foodnut/09330.html

Answer 2

You can freeze all sorts of vegetables, but unfortunately not lettuce or tomatoes, they wilt and get all soggy if you freeze them. You can make a filling for your veggie wraps with different veg in a tomato sauce, then just defrost and fill your wraps with that for a quick meal. Although you might lose the fresh vitamins from the tomatoes, cooked toms have a higher number of the anti carcinogenic enzymes, so a very healthy option.



A good rule of thumb when freezing veg is the water content. If your veg has a high water content like lettuce or cucumber it will become all mushy when thawed.



But you can make soups and sauces and freeze in abundance. They last ages and still retain a lot of their natural goodness.

Answer 3

For your veggie wraps, you can freeze them in freezer bags.



If you are wanting to freeze veggies, I would not freeze lettuce. That will accumulate ice crystals. (I think the shredded lettuce will be fine for veggie wraps, though)



I freeze chopped onions all the time. I buy several large ones at a time. When I get one out for dinner, I chop what I need for that meal and then freeze the rest. Works perfectly.



Celery (cut up), carrots and cucumbers freeze well. Also, radishes, squash, and any cooked green beans and corn will freeze well. I have bought blocks of cheese on sale and put them int he freezer. They were perfect when I was ready to use them.



When I make lasagna, I freeze half of it. (Cheese and all) Other dishes I make and freeze are chili, homemade vegetable soup, enchiladas, meatballs, and meatloaf.

Answer 4

You can freeze the wraps, but the fresh veggies do not freeze well for using for wraps or sandwiches.

Lettuce cannot be frozen.

The best foods for you to freeze would be cooked spaghetti, hamburgers, meatballs, cooked chicken portions cooked fish and then bagged in smaller baggie portions to heat up later, like your own version of TV dinners.

Cooked vegetables can usually be frozen, but some veggies and fresh fruit will become very soggy and not appetizing after freezing unless they are used for cooking only.

The quickest way to prepare foods, I think is to learn how to use the microwave properly and that is a talent by itself. Good, healthy and quick meals can be prepared or reheated in the microwave.

Answer 5

Lettuce doesn't freeze well at all.

Most veggies need to be blanched before freezing. Frozen vegetables are fresher than 'fresh' vegetables as they are frozen the same day they are picked. "Fresh" vegetables can be in transit for a week before they get to your city and then they go to a distribution center for another day or two and then, finally, they arrive at your grocer. Frozen vegetables are picked at their best.



Bell peppers and onions don't need to be blanched before freezing, like most other vegetables.



Leeks usually will last a week or two in the fridge.



I have purchased diced tomatoes in cans, drained them really well and used them in a salad. Try to buy unsalted as they are otherwise quite heavily salted.



Wraps last longer if refrigerated or frozen. Tip: If you refrigerate or freeze them, open the package and put a piece of waxed paper between each flatbread or tortilla; other they will stick together and you won't be able to take them out a couple at a time.



Keep potatoes out of their bag in a dark, cool area, they'll last longer.



Here's a great recipe that is one of my favorites. I make a crock pot full, then portion it and freeze the portions so I have ready nutritious meal for days when I don't feel up to it. Freeze the portions in paper or plastic lidded drink cups. I have MS so can appreciate your challenges.



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Easy Beef Macaroni Crock-Pot



Beef and tomato-based chili with macaroni pasta. This is an ultra-mild chili and, because of it's flavour, is my favourite recipe to make.



Yield: 12

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 hours

Difficulty: Easy



Ingredients:

● 2 1/2 lbs lean ground beef (10% fat)

● 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes

● 14 1/2 oz canned unsalted diced tomatoes, with juice

● 1/2 cup water, to rinse tomato cans clean

● 2/3 cup dehydrated chopped onions

● 1 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic, minced

● 3 tbsp. chili powder

● 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

● 1 1/2 tsp. oregano, dried

● 2 bay leaves

● 1/4 tsp. black pepper

● 1 tsp. Frank's Hot Red Pepper Sauce, (not Tabasco!)

● 2 cup Smart Pasta, macaroni, uncooked

● 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

● 1/2 tsp. oregano, dried

● 2 stalks celery, diced



Directions:

Crumble ground beef into slow cooker. Add all but last 4 ingredients to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 5 hours, stirring every two hours. One hour before serving, add the last 3 ingredients, mix well, remove the bay leaves and continue cooking. Boil the macaroni. Serve with the boiled macaroni..





Nutrition Facts Per Serving

Calories 276.3

Total Carbs 17.7 g

Dietary Fiber 3.5 g

Sugars 3.4 g

Total Fat 11.1 g

Saturated Fat 4.4 g

Unsaturated Fat 6.7 g

Potassium 386.9 mg

Protein 24.9 g

Sodium 294.5 mg



Dietary Exchanges: 1/2 Fat, 3 Meat, 1 Starch, 1 Vegetable



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I also keep some home-made chicken soup in the freezer so that when I get sick, there is some nice good nutritious chicken soup waiting for me.



I buy a ready-cooked chicken at Costco, take the meat off and divide it into portions. After freezing the portions, I take all the bones and make my chicken soup. Yum! :)



Good Luck in your quest for better health. I wish you well.

Answer 6

Absolutely for the wrap and veggies. Lettuce & tomatoes does not freeze tho.So add them when you are ready to eat them. Fruits freeze well too. Pastas and soups can freeze as well. Meats do nicely too.

Answer 7

You can definitely freeze veggies! like carrots, but anything that holds a high water content will not freeze well. like lettuce and celery. so try to eat that in the lenght of time its fresh in the fridge.



I like to make baked potatoes loaded with everything and then I freeze them and when Im ready to eat just toss them back in the oven or microwave.

Answer 8

The cheeses that freeze superb are brick, Camembert, cheddar, Edam, a million)mozzerella, muenster, Parmesan, 2)provolone, Romano and Swiss. Blue cheeses are extra services to starting to be crumbly yet they're going to nevertheless flavor sturdy. Cream cheese and cottage cheese do no longer freeze properly. 3)confident, you may. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then placed it in a zip-lock plastic bag and freeze it. it extremely is amazingly unquestionably defrosted, the two interior the refrigerator, in one day, or on the counter, in approximately an hour or so. It loses no longer something of its flavor or texture.

Answer 9

i dont think it wold be a good idea to freeze the wraps or the lettuce. freezing them would just not be good.



some healthy choices you can buy, that last long:

-sweet potatoes

-zuchini

-carrots

- brocolli

but dont freeze any of em. they will last a while on their own.



foods that you can freeze:

-chicken breasts

-fish filets

-hambuger

-steak

(just dont keep in freezer more than 1 and a half

(it may also be a good idea to buy frozen foods. like frozen veggetables, frozen entres ect.)



for fruites, you can freeze blueberries. they just wont taste as good after.

in general fruites dont last a long time.



hope this helpedd a bitt

Answer 10

If you prepare the veggies in bite size pieces, blanch in boiling water quickly, then plunge in ice water and strain, they will retain their color and texture better.

Cheese doesn't freeze well and neither do tomatoes.

You can freeze prepared meals like veggie lasagna or casseroles too.

Answer 11

pretty much any veggie that is going to retain water while being frozen isn't going to freeze well, like tomatoes, lettuce etc.

Answer 12

You can freeze cooked vegetables, but not raw vegetables. The frozen vegetables in supermarket freezers are partially cooked. The water content must be reduced before freezing.

Answer 13

yes, you can freeze them