Meal prep containers filled with vegetables, lean proteins and greens.

It’s nearly a new calendar year, the time to contemplate fresh beginnings.

If saving money and eating a healthier diet are on your list for 2025, commit to more home-cooked meals. Using your freezer for meal prep can help you save time.

Tips for freezing ingredients for future meals:

• Freezer bags are a space-saving way to store ingredients, although other storage systems may be used if you have the space. When storing food in a freezer bag, be sure to press out as much air as possible before sealing the bag. Always label and date whatever container you choose.
• Chop a bunch of onions at once and freeze them in portions. They can be added to the pan right from the freezer.
• Stock a variety of commercially frozen vegetables. They are high in quality, nutritious and a time saver.
• Place 2 tablespoons of chopped herbs to each well of an ice cube tray, cover with water and freeze. Then place in a freezer bag. Add frozen cubes to pan sauces or soups.
• Ingredients that you need in small amounts may be frozen in spoonfuls on a baking sheet. Then peel off with a metal spatula and place in a freezer bag until ready to use. This works well for pesto, tomato paste, and chipotle chiles.
• To be prepared for a simple stir-fry, slice portions of beef, chicken or pork before freezing.
• Purchase bags of frozen shrimp that have been deveined. They thaw quickly under running water in just a few minutes.
• If you like Mexican food, seasoned shredded chicken, pork, or beef can be portioned out and frozen. Making quick homemade burritos, tacos or nachos requires only a few pantry staples and a minimum of additional prep work.
• Soup freezes well and can make a complete meal. If your recipe has pasta as an ingredient, stir it into the soup when simmering to reheat. Noodles absorb too much liquid and become mushy when frozen.
• For the best results, frozen casseroles need to thaw completely in the refrigerator before being baked. They are basically big blocks of ice and can take up to 48 hours to thaw so plan accordingly. To test if a casserole is fully thawed, stick a knife in the middle. Casseroles with pasta, such as lasagna freeze well because the contain less water than soup.
• If you are making a sauce, make a large batch and freeze portions for future dinners.
• Once hot food has cooled down, it should be placed in the refrigerator to chill before placing in the freezer. Be sure to wrap it tightly to avoid freezer burn.

From a safety standpoint, food that is frozen properly and kept at a constant temperature of 0 degrees or lower will be safe to eat for a very long time. Keep a thermometer in your freezer to make sure it’s at the correct temperature. Moisture loss and the activity of enzymes and other chemical processes are slowed, but not stopped, so the quality does deteriorate over time.

It’s important to keep up with what’s in the freezer to avoid loss of quality.

Having complete meals or the ingredients ready to speed up your meal prep during busy times makes dining-in a viable choice.