For everyone new to the game, know that March is Frozen Food Month. Actually, it’s on March 6 that we celebrate National Frozen Food Day, but the truth is that as far as retailers are concerned, this is an ongoing celebration starting March 1st through March 31st.
Good news, thus, for people who cook with frozen foods because if there was ever a good time to stock frozen vegetables, frozen pizza, frozen fruits and frozen desserts among others, it’s now, it’s this month.
National Frozen Food Day – Since 1984
National Frozen Food Day was established in 1984, but that was long after food freezing was discovered.
From as early as the 1900s people found that food could be preserved by means of freezing. It was only in 1927, however, that Clarence Frank Birdseye II patented flash freezing, setting the direction for what would soon become a new market product – frozen food.
Around that time very few households in America could afford refrigeration units, so frozen food was still a thing of the future with only a handful of retail stores selling it. There wasn’t enough demand.
But in 1954 frozen dinners became ever so popular. They required little preparation and so were adopted by millions of Americans who would sit comfortably in the living room every other night to watch TV and eat TV dinner, concept turned pop culture staple in no time.
Frozen Food in Current Times
Nowadays, frozen food is anything from pre-cooked dinners to frozen ingredients like fruits and vegetables used to cook meals and prepare desserts.
Frozen foods are widely used in eateries today but in very many households too. Busy cooks, for example, have an easier time prepping meals using frozen ingredients to fresh ones.
Although there is some concern over frozen foods being unhealthy, which is justified about some products containing large amounts of saturated fat and chemicals, not all frozen food is all that bad.
Frozen food in terms of meats, vegetables, fruits and some of the waffles, the muffins, the vegetable enchiladas, the wraps, the fish, the pizza, everything basically that lists as few ingredients as possible is okay with moderation.
What to Lookout for in Frozen Meals
Avoid frozen foods that are high in calories. A portion size of your choice of frozen food should contain around 500 calories.
Avoid frozen foods with added sugar, or at least choose products that only have very little sugar added.
Avoid frozen foods that contain a lot of sodium. The less sodium they contain, the better, and to use as a guideline, choose frozen meals that have no more than 800 mg of sodium.
What to Look for in Frozen Meals
Look for products that contain sufficient amounts of protein and fiber along with other nutrients.
Look for whole foods products because they will benefit you more and these are usually the type of frozen foods that contain fewer ingredients, which remember, is always a good thing.
Look for products that you can pair with healthy ingredients, specifically in regards to frozen meals look for products that you can pair well with salad, yogurt, fresh greens, fresh vegetables and the likes.