Life hacks from the Food24 team: The freezer edition

A well-stocked freezer is the secret life hack that’ll help you get a healthy dinner on the table in a hurry. Must-have frozen food essentials are all about stocking up on frozen whole foods and ready-made items that’ll make dinner prep an absolute dream!

We asked the Food24 team to weigh in on their must-have freezer items and here’s what they had to say:

Our head of food Natalie Wilson said: “I love some frozen corn; it’s bright, yellow and yummy – it’s happiness on a plate. I never have any issues with kids declining it either. Fish fingers are also in heavy rotation for toddler dinners in my house!” Elevate even the drabbest of dishes with a sweet, juicy a-amaize-ing sweetcorn crunch!

“For me, it’s frozen peas,” says Tessa Purdon, Food24’s head of content. “I love adding them to pastas, risottos and curries or having them as an old-school side to roast chicken with loads of gravy.” Frozen peas add a great amount of pop and colour to just about any meal!

If you’re #teamfrozenpeas and looking for some pea-spiration, this butter bean, pea and feta hummus with bagel crisp recipe is a firm favourite for Katy Rose, our social media specialist. “It’s a tasty dip on a cheese board or as a spread on sandwiches. I think I’ve even stirred it through pasta!”

Commissioning editor Lauren Goldman is your frozen broc gal. “I don’t eat a lot of greens,” she says, “so if I feel I need to have a salad, I steam some broccoli and add a squeeze of lemon and some salt, pepper and Parmesan if I have it. If I want something more indulgent, I have it with cheese sauce.” Mmm… Cheesy greens – is there any other way to thoroughly enjoy them?

For Bianca Jones, Food24’s content producer, “crisp chips fresh out of the oven and on the dinner table in a matter of moments” is an absolute life-saver. “Frozen chips are a mandatory freezer must! They are great, totally a meal on their own, and the only thing you’re left worrying about when frozen chips are involved is whether to dip in tomato sauce or mayo!” From sweet potato chips to good old potato chips, there’s a frozen chip packet for everyone!

“We usually have chicken nuggets, skinny fries, mince and chicken breasts in the freezer. They’re all super important,” says Lauren Josephs, Food24’s managing editor. “The chicken nuggets are always the side to my skinny fries. All the skinny fries need is a generous amount of Spur’s 1000 Island sauce all over and they’re good to go!”

Well-stocked freezers facilitate healthier, budget-friendly meal choices, especially when hangry, and you can load up just about any meal with a variety of veggies with minimal effort in a matter of minutes.

ALSO SEE: Is your freezer a disaster? We’re here to give it a makeover with these 5 genius tips