If you are struggling with meal prepping/planning or having prepared meals on hand, then I highly suggest utilizing some of these freezer meal ideas. Freezer meals are so underrated. Below are my 3 favorite ways to utilize frozen meals….

Smoothie bags

I know we typically think about smoothies as being quick and easy, but let’s be honest, almost anything seems impossible when you are rushing out the door. So here is an even quicker and easier way to prep your smoothies. These are great for a quick meal replacement, and they allow you to use fruits and veggies before they go bad. 

I prep my smoothies beforehand by adding everything that goes into the smoothies right into a Ziploc or reusable sandwich bag. The only thing I leave out is the liquid! Pack your fruit, veggies, nut butter, chia seeds, protein powder (and anything else you like) all into a bag to freeze. When you are ready to make your smoothie, add your liquid to a blender, grab one of your baggies from the freezer, add it to the blender, and blend!

This is my current favorite smoothie recipe:

Banana Bread Smoothie

1 serving protein powder
¼ c chopped walnuts

2 Tbsp ground flax seeds

½ banana 

¾ c unsweetened nut milk

Pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg

2 Tbsp oats

If you need more smoothie ideas check out our summer recipe bundle here.

Prepping meals to be thrown into the slow cooker

I can’t tell you how many times this hack has saved groceries that I was going to throw away! It has also made going out of town so much easier by having something prepared for my family when I am gone or having something to rely on for the first few days that I am getting back from a trip and haven’t yet gone to the store to grocery shop. It is also a lifesaver for busy weekday nights. Just prep everything that you need and throw it into a gallon freezer bag. 

This is a repeat dinner of mine:

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

1 ½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 10-ounce can mild diced tomatoes and green chilies

1 c (frozen or canned) corn kernels 

½ c salsa

½ c chopped fresh cilantro 

1 diced red onion

1 diced jalapeno 

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

4 cloves minced garlic 

Juice of 2 limes

Add all ingredients to a gallon freezer bag and freeze. When you are ready to cook, you can either put it in the fridge the night before so that it thaws a bit or just throw it straight into the slow cooker from the freezer.  Make sure to season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours (depending on frozen or thawed)

Already prepared, ready to warm 

I can’t stress this enough…if you are already meal prepping, then you might as well make double. Whenever I listen to my own advice and do this I am so thankful for it! For example, if I am making protein muffins or egg bites for a meal prep, I will make an extra batch and throw it in the freezer to have for later. For some reason, breakfast foods seem to be the easiest to do this with. You can do this for things like egg bites, oatmeal cups, protein muffins, breakfast burritos/enchiladas, breakfast casseroles, etc!

My go-to egg bite recipe

6 large eggs

1 c egg whites

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

½ c chopped yellow onion

2 ½ c of whatever veggies (I usually like to do bell peppers, spinach, mushrooms, tomato, etc)

⅓ c feta cheese (or your fav cheese)

Preheat the oven to 375F. Saute veggies while the oven is preheating. Whisk eggs, egg whites, and seasonings in a bowl. Once your veggies are soft (about 5-6 minutes) add them along with your cheese of choice to the egg mixture and mix well.  Spray your muffin pan with cooking spray so that your mixture doesn’t stick (silicone pans work great for this). Divide mixture evenly between 12 muffin cups and bake for 17-20 minutes. 

Make sure to let the egg bites cool before storing them in the freezer in an airtight container or gallon bag. To reheat, just pop into the microwave for about 1-1 ½ minutes.

Hopefully this helps to make meal prep seem a little less daunting! 

Your MM Coach, 

Brianna