These 15 meals are the perfect healthy freezer meals for new moms or anyone who wants to save tons of time in the kitchen! These meals are all gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, and many are whole30 and AIP. As an expectant mom, freezer meals are about to be my lifeline during my postpartum period, which freezer meals why I wanted to dedicate a whole week and this round-up on the blog to freezer meals.
When I found out I was expecting, I knew I wanted to make a round-up like this! I found them to be SO helpful. I really wanted to do one that featured healthy, paleo, and AIP meals! Whether you’re an expectant mother or are just trying to save time in the kitchen freezer meals are a great option for having exactly what you want on hand, exactly when you want it! They’re especially helpful if you have dietary restrictions and can’t necessarily rely on takeout or meal trains to maintain compliance with what makes you feel great. With freezer meals, you’re still able to prepare the food you love, but with less work. This roundup has a mixture of both!
What are slow cooker freezer meals? Are there any safety tips to note? Most of the meals in this round up do involve prepping the raw ingredients and adding them to the slow cooker. What I love about this is that you get a fresh meal when you want it rather than always reheating previously cooked food. The texture and flavor holds up much better, especially with veggies like zucchini and leafy greens. If you’re freezing your food, never re-freeze previously frozen food!
Can you use the instant pot instead of the slow cooker for these recipes? Each individual recipe notes more details of this in each specific blog post, but for the most part, they can be made in the instant pot. As a general rule, as long as there’s at least 1 cup of liquid, you can likely prep it in the instant pot and just adjust the cooking time. The only recipes that I didn’t like in the instant pot were the Hawaiian chicken and the Mongolian beef. Can you cook these meals beforehand, freeze them, and reheat later?
The first two recipes are designed to be cooked first and then reheated later. However, I personally think that the texture and flavor are better when these ingredients are prepped, frozen, and then prepared fresh in the slow cooker. I prefer this method for these particular recipes. Plus, as a first-time mom who loves to cook, I’m really looking forward to having options to fresh-tasting meals when I’m busy with a newborn! What are the options for containers to freeze these meals? Glass Pyrex containers are what I always store leftovers in!