Foods You Should Freeze to Save Money

Berries

Fresh berries are absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, in most places they are only in season for a very short time each year. Therefore, it is a good idea to buy frozen berries rather than fresh ones. They are picked when they are at their best and flash-frozen, ensuring they remain in prime condition. Very often, fresh berries that are not local are picked before they are ripe and ripened during transportation.

Furthermore, frozen berries are very versatile. They can nearly always be used in place of fresh berries in a recipe and they are usually far cheaper than their fresh counterparts. Furthermore, they can be kept in the freezer for months.

Spinach

It is well known that green vegetables such as spinach are packed with nutrients and may deliver several health benefits, such as lower blood pressure. However, fresh greens, such as spinach, can be very expensive and they do not last long in the fridge. Therefore, it is always good to have a few packs of frozen spinach in the freezer. It makes it easy to introduce them to all meals and you can be sure that none of it will go to waste. You may wish to complement the frozen spinach with fresh for specific recipes, but it is still worth keeping some on hand.

Peas and Edamame

Green peas and edamame are a fantastic way to add protein and fibre to a meal without spending a lot of money. They have an impressive 4 and 9 grams of protein, respectively, per half-cup serving. Furthermore, both have 4 grams of fibre per serving. This combination makes them very filling. You can also buy canned peas, but frozen peas usually have less added sodium. They take very little time to cook and can be used in stew, soups, pasta dishes, and far more.

Meat 

Meat can be very expensive. However, if you buy it in large portions, it is usually a bit cheaper. You may not need large amounts of meat at a time, so after buying it, cut it into portions and then store it in the freezer. It makes planning meals much easier and will save you money in the long term. You will need to plan ahead as the meat will need defrosting, but if you have already split it into portions, then this shouldn’t take too long.

Bread 

There is nothing like the taste of fresh bread, but unfortunately, bread does not stay fresh for very long. Therefore, if you make some bread or buy a loaf, why not slice it and then place it in the freezer. You can then easily take out however many slices you need and they take hardly any time to defrost. It will ensure that your bread stays fresh and you do not need to worry about mould. Furthermore, if you splash out on some more expensive bread, then you can be sure that it won’t go to waste.

Fish 

Fish is well-known for going off very quickly. It will only last a day or two in the fridge, and it is anything but cheap. Furthermore, fish is extremely healthy and it can be used in a huge number of delicious recipes. Therefore, if you see fish on sale, you can buy more than you need and then freeze the remainder. Just as with meat, you can buy a large cut and then split it into individual portions for cooking before freezing it. This way, you won’t waste any. As a bonus, fish defrosts far faster than poultry or red meat.

To Conclude

While you can keep far more foods than this in the freezer, such as ice cream, the above listed foods are those that you should consider freezing if you are keen to save money. All of them have very short shelf lives so are a common source of food waste. However, by freezing them, you will cut down on the waste, which in turn will save you money. Furthermore, all of them are healthy and can play a central role in a balanced diet.