Make your freezer your friend

We're all so busy these days that it's hard to make meals at home. Some of us get take-out for lunch and then get take-out again for dinner. But eating this way regularly is bad for your health, and your wallet! So how do we find time for home-cooked meals?

Make your freezer your friend!

Tips

  • Make a big batch of whatever you cook and freeze what you don't eat. That way you'll have several more meals ready in the time it takes to make one.
  • Buy fresh vegetables and freeze them. Before freezing, blanch them to seal in the nutrients and keep them crisp. They only take a few minutes to prepare, and then a few minutes to unfreeze and cook when you're ready to eat.
  • Divide large amounts of veggies and meats into meal-sized portions so you only unfreeze as much as you need for one meal.
  • Look for healthy options in the frozen food section at the store—unsweetened fruit, thin-crust veggie pizza, or fish. Most grocery stores now carry frozen vegetables that you put in the microwave, bag and all, to steam for 4–5 minutes. It's an instant healthy meal! 

If you don't have a freezer, you can buy one cheaply in whatever size will fit in your home. You'll quickly recover the cost by not eating out all the time!

What tips do you have for eating healthy at home? Discuss this with your teacher.

several [determiner]—more than two and fewer than many.

blanch [verb]—a cooking process in which vegetables are put in boiling water for a very short time before freezing them.

nutrient /NOO-tree-uhnt/ [noun]—any substance that plants or animals need to live and grow.

Discussion: 
How often, on average, do you eat at home during the week? Do you make your own lunch to bring with you to work? Is it common for people to bring their own lunch? Do Homework
Do you consider yourself a good cook? What is your favorite thing to cook? If you don't cook, would you like to learn? Why or why not? Do Homework
"Cooking is love made visible." What does this saying mean? How do you feel about it? Do Homework