There’s nothing better than fresh fruits and veggies, but sometimes I have to rely on frozen food to get me by. Not only is it super convenient, it also tends to be cheaper, and it keeps for a lot longer. The issue is usually navigating through the freezer section, to find things that aren’t loaded up with artificial ingredients and preservatives.
So I made a quick little list of some of my frozen food staples.
Frozen Foods I Love
Frozen Fruit
- Berries last longer and they’re much cheaper, especially when they are out of season! I also like to freeze my bananas when they start getting too ripe. (Peel them first!)
Ezekiel bread (or any sprouted grain bread)
- It keeps longer in the freezer, and a few minutes in the toaster brings it right back to life!
Vitatops (and VitaCakes)
- They’re kind of expensive, but they’re pretty tasty! You could also just make these apple pie oatmeal muffins and freeze them.
Frozen dinners (without the weird stuff)
- Amy’s makes some of my favorites, but I also like Kashi and Lightlife.
Frozen dinners can come in handy if I need to pack my lunch, or I don’t have time to cook something. I like that the sprouted grain bread keeps in the freezer (really, any kind of bread would) so it doesn’t go stale before I can finish the loaf. And I actually prefer frozen berries for yogurt and smoothies! Vitatops make a great dessert when you just need something sweet.
Things I Don’t Love
- Steamed broccoli- I just don’t think this tastes great. It’s not bad in a stir fry, but fresh is so much tastier
- Frozen meals with 10,000 ingredients- Take a look at what’s in there… and watch out for strange preservatives and chemicals
- Soy crumbles- I really wanted to like these, but I used them in this vegetarian chili and I just hated the texture
Yup, I must always have ezekiel!! The best
Brittany @ GOtheXtraMile recently posted…Vacation Eats
Frozen berries are a must for my freezer!
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes recently posted…{WIAW} Sunday on Monday
Sometimes you can find a big box of Yves Ground Round in the frozen section. This is hands-down the best ground beef substitute there is. It’s nice to have on hand to easily veggie-ize any recipe you find that involves ground beef, especially when you’re cooking for a large group.
http://www.yvesveggie.com/products/detail.php/meatless-ground-round-original
I always keep frozen fruit on hand for smoothies! I also love frozen peas as they easily bulk up any meal
They’re good in a pasta dish with lots of nutritional yeast!
Picky Nicky recently posted…You Can’t Be Skinny and Strong
what a great idea for a post babe!!!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I most frequently buy Ezekiel products from the frozen area 
Otherwise, everything is fresh! Oh, and some fish I buy frozen, too 
Meg @ A Dash of Meg recently posted…01/23: WIAW and Three New Recipes!
Yes frozen produc really helps!! I love frozen fruit to throw into smoothies that way I dont need any ice. And frozen veggies are just so much easier sometimes, since they dont need any prep!
Kat recently posted…Longest Fry In The World.
I never remember to grab frozen fruit at the grocery store; I always head straight for the frozen spinach! It’s definitely one of my freezer staples. I also normally have some veggie burgers for a quick meal…and I freeze a ton of my homemade burgers, muffins, cookies, etc.
Valerie @ Pursuit of Sweetness recently posted…[Meatless Monday] Kale & Quinoa Winter Salad
I always keep frozen berries and bananas on hand. And for a quick vegetarian meal in a pinch, I do like using Quorn crumbles.
Michelle @ Eat Move Balance recently posted…82°F to 12°F
I eat frozen veggies all.the.time. Love me some brussels sprouts & peas! As for other faves, those Quorn “chiken” patties are really good as are Trader Joe’s enchis in a pinch. Sometimes we all need a lil’ help from the microwave, fact of life!
Stephanie @cookinfanatic recently posted…BBQ Cheddar Stuffed Turkey Loaves – IGE Inspired
VitaTops have been my favorite for a few years now–I don’t think they have that “fake” taste and they satisfy a chocolate craving!
Colleen @ Jimmy Choos on the Treadmill recently posted…Icing My Face with Frozen Mango Chunks
I love ezekiel bread. As for frozen food in general, Trader Joe’s frozen mashed sweet potatoes are my favorite. I’ve never tried vitatops though!
Jess @ JessieBear What Will You Wear? recently posted…S-s-so C-c-cold
I loove love love Vita Tops too.
And lately I have been loving Edy’s Frozen Yogurt – the caramel candied pecan kind!
Andrea @ Andrea Out Loud! recently posted…7 Days of Blah Food (AKA Detox Time)
I agree with the frozen meals! Totally gross when it’s a long list of things. I do like the vegan Boca burgers though. They aren’t too bad tasting. I agree half with the broccoli…I like when other people steam it using fresh lol, not me. I do hate the frozen kind though…yuck!
Sabrina @ Nutritiously Sweet recently posted…WIAW #36: Veganize Me… Ish
LOOOVE Ezekiel
Especially their cinnamon raisin English muffins haha I go through those like crazy 
I have actually never tried a vita muffin, but they always look tasty!
Rachel recently posted…Pole Dancing 101
The Cinnamon Raisin bread topped with Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter is like the most amazing thing ever!
Frozen fruits are a MUST for me, with blueberries and mangoes being my absolute favorite. Then there’s Amy’s pizza, Nature’s Path waffles, Ezekiel English muffins, and frozen veggies… but NEVER spinach. Oh! And… does ice cream count as a frozen food?
Oh man I LOVE Frozen waffles!!! Haha I need to go get some.
I COMPLETELY agree with you about frozen broccoli. I’ll put it in my stir-fry but…by itself…not very good
Also, I ended up buying some Ezekiel bread last week and really like it
Thanks for reviewing on your blog. It’s a new favorite of mine too!
Diane @ Life of Di. recently posted…Can I Borrow Some Butter?
Awesome I’m so glad you like it!
Ah yay! Thanks for those awesome reviews
I’ve been wanting “sprout” bread too. And I didn’t know Kashi made pasta… I love their cereal.
Stephanie recently posted…Vegan Tuesday – slow cook recipe
The Kashi dinners are a little pricy but I think they’re pretty good!
Omg I think we are one in the same person – I always peel almost too ripe bananas and put them in the freezer for smoothies!!!! I have to admit I love frozen broccoli – just bc it’s super easy and doesn’t go bag. my all time favorite frozen veggie is peeled edamame – made it for dinner tonight!
Van’s Gluten-Free Frozen Waffles are a big hit with my clients! Have you ever tried them? They’re pretty good.
Oh gosh. I seriously love those vita tops. They are so good and such a yummy snack for a low amount of calories when you want something sweet. I like frozen dumplings. The legit kind from asian markets. Those are the cats meow lol. I also enjoy some amy’s frozen meals – mainly the vegetarian pasta one with asparagus and broccoli.
Lindsay @ Conscious Cravings recently posted…WIAW (More like What Trailers I Ate)
I’ve never tried frozen dumplings! I’ll have to give them a shot!
Liz, you should try Dr. Praeger’s brand burgers…minimal ingredient list and very tasty! Perfect for when you need something quick.
Ohhh I think I’ve seen those at Trader Joe’s! I’ll have to keep an eye out
Nice choices! Love that you are honest about the need for frozen or quick dinners occasionally. I think it is so great to see real life on blogs besides just the healthy stuff, and now I am so gonna try that Kashi meal
Helen recently posted…Throwback Thursday
Absolutely! As much as I wish I didn’t have to rely on packaged food, sometimes it’s what I do!
Least Favorite: Soy Crumbles. Oh man, just like you… I really wanted to like them. I tried them, and forced Joshua to eat them thinking they wouldn’t be bad. Wow, I felt bad for feeding him such a nasty dinner, lol
jessie recently posted…Thankful Thursday : Good and Bad
Haha yeah I thought they’d be fine in chili but I didn’t like them at all!
Frozen bananas! I have to have them in our freezer at all times for smoothies, banana ice cream and to occasionally dip into nut butter
Giselle@myhealthyhappyhome recently posted…WIAW Paleo Edition #2
Frozen fruits and veggies for sure!!!
Nikki recently posted…Snow Day?!
I love Ezekiel bread. It is seriously the best, especially toasted or as the base of a grilled cheese sandwich. So delicious!
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl recently posted…WIAW: January 23, 2013
I like the Ezekial english muffins. And I keep a lot of frozen banana pieces in the freezer to throw into smoothies!
Nicole recently posted…23 PAWS (#8): A Day in the Life
I need to try sprouted bread. I love Amy’s frozen meals and frozen berries too. I need to get some Kashi meals to change things up, but I try not to rely on frozen meals for lunch. Until this week, I was doing pretty good at keeping them stocked in my freezer and not touching them. I feel so lazy when it’s freezing cold outside!
Lisa @ Lisa Living Well recently posted…Not So Blue Monday
Jolly Green Giant green beans are actually pretty good! I also keep veggie burgers and brown rice in my freezer for easy week night dinners. We do eat the steamed broccoli but I like the roasted versions MUCH better. That was tonight’s dinner : ) TJ’s has a great frozen oatmeal that I would recommend and a tasty frozen spinach artichoke dip.
luv what you do recently posted…The Day We Robbed Yogurtland
Oooh I haven’t tried those Vita-Tops ever, but people SWEAR by ‘em. Might be just the thing for this gal’s massive sweet tooth!
Jorie @ The Midwest Maven recently posted…Friday Round-Up: January 25, 2013
I go back and forth about frozen food myself, sometimes I find myself buying all kinds of Trader Joes yummy frozen things and assume they are healthy then realize woahh they are not. Those berries look incredible though! Whenever I get them they look all macerated and unripe. I will need to get the kind you get because alternately if I buy them fresh they go bad in 2.5 seconds
Does coconut milk ice cream count? Or Cool Whip? [Technically you keep it in the freezer...]
Actually, I love using frozen bell peppers in stews, when they are going to cook down anyway. I will often use a frozen stir fry blend just to make a quick dinner…it is much cheaper than buying all the individual ingredients. I used to love to buy the sugar snap peas frozen and steam them just a little so they were still crispy–it was cheaper than buying them fresh and I could add them to salads and such.
Frozen Brussells sprouts aren’t that bad if you thaw them and then roast them.
Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen recently posted…Blue…Part Two. [#WIAW]
Haha, that’s so weird… I LOVE frozen broccoli steamed. I have it almost every day!
Miranda @ Biting Life recently posted…Book Review: Terra
Hahaha maybe I’m buying a bad brand?? What kind do you get?