If you’re stocking up for an emergency, or simply bought too much at the store, here’s how you can freeze cheese and a few things to avoid for the best results.
Since sharing instructions on how to freeze milk, I’ve received a lot of questions about freezing other pantry essentials. The most recent being: “Laura, can you freeze yogurt?”.
I have good news for you! Yes, you can absolutely freeze yogurt and there are a few different methods I’ll share with you today.
We all need easy dinner ideas that can help us get healthy meals made for our families. But there are times where you don’t have much left to eat, or maybe you can’t make it to the store for another week.
How can you make a meal plan with pantry staples and ingredients you already have at home? Easy.
Today we are going to talk about easy pantry recipes you can make for your family and how to meal plan using only pantry staples and the items you already have on hand.
If you have ever wondered what foods can be frozen, you’re in the right place. I’m going to show you how to freeze everything from bread to butter (and everything in between).
Oats are a great thing to keep stocked in your pantry because of their versatility. Sure, it starts with oatmeal, but there are so many more delicious recipes you can make using oats as the main ingredient. Read this post for the best recipes and ideas for the whole family.
If you are stocking up in preparation for a self-quarantine, you definitely want to grab a package of oats. They’re healthy, delicious and extremely versatile food.
Wondering how to shop less and cook with what you have hiding in the back of your pantry (like oats)? I’ve prepared a 2-week meal plan full of recipes, a done-for-you meal prep schedule and easy ingredient swaps so you can make amazing meals with whatever you have in the kitchen.
Recipe: Savory Oatmeal with Bacon & Eggs The ultimate breakfast-for-dinner recipe, oats piled high with bacon and cheese you’ll want this one all day every day!
Recipe: Roasted Veggie and Oats Bowl Breakfast for dinner meets sheet pan night with this roasted veggies and savory oats bowl recipe. The oats are creamy, cheesy, and savory; making it a great new way to enjoy oatmeal!
Sweet Recipes Using Oats
Recipe: Blueberry Baked Oatmeal This hearty breakfast bake comes together quickly and is the perfect satisfying breakfast for a busy morning. The fresh berries add that fresh fruity flavor and a hint of sweetness we all love.
Recipe: Banana Overnight Oats This recipe combines several pantry staples into one delicious recipe. Oats, almond butter, honey and fruit mix together for one amazing breakfast.
Recipe: No-Cook Oatmeal with Berries This breakfast practically cooks itself! Quick, delicious and zero cooking required!
Recipe: Easy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies These cookies come straight from my lunch recipe cookbook and they’re the perfect snack or breakfast cookie. Plus, they’re easily modified to make a gluten-free version.
Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies These healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter breakfast cookies are going to be your new best friend for busy mornings or whenever you need a warm chewy pick me up.
Recipe: Blueberry Breakfast Cookies These cookies have no added sugars, they’re naturally gluten-free and they come together quick & easy in just one bowl. A true breakfast win.
Recipe: Strawberry Yogurt Oat Muffins Having muffin lovers in my house keeps me on my toes when it comes to baking a variety of muffins, and these strawberry yogurt muffins are the type my family asks me to repeat.
Recipe: Oatmeal Banana Muffins Is it possible that muffins can be both delicious and healthy? These Banana Oatmeal Muffins prove it!
Recipe: Pantry Granola Make this simple homemade granola recipe with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. This makes a great cereal, snack or topping for yogurt!
Recipe: Oatmeal Raisin Energy Bites This recipe is a healthy snack that tastes like dessert. Plus, you don’t even have to bake these bite-size treats.
Recipe: Bananas Foster Overnight Oats Yes, this breakfast recipe tastes just like the amazing New Orleans dessert, bananas foster! Seriously, you don’t want to miss this one.
Recipe: Banana Split Oatmeal Bar When everyone wants their own thing, build an oatmeal bar! Start with your basic base, and then grab the toppings listed in this post so that each family member can make it their own.
Recipe: Cinnamon Roll Smoothie This sweet drink is dairy-free, good for you and outrageously delicious!
Recipe: Peanut Butter Chocolate Oatmeal Shake This “shake” is lightly sweetened with bananas and chocolate chips and an amazing drink your kids just might ask for every day.
Recipe: Applesauce Bread A quick, comforting treat you can whip up with basic pantry staples. It’s super moist and great a breakfast or packed into lunches.
Recipe:Cheddar Apple Sausage Muffins Try this savory breakfast muffin for a change. Loaded with sausage, chopped apple, and cheese, it’s an incredible breakfast you can enjoy on the go.
Recipe: Lemon Poppyseed Zucchini Muffins Super moist lemon poppy seed muffins with zucchini are healthier than the coffee shops and just as tasty!
With a pantry full of oats, and these ideas, you can try a new recipe every day!
In a medium bowl, mix the oats, coconut flakes, flax seed, mini chocolate chips, if using, and raisins.
In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, honey, and vanilla.
Pour the peanut butter mixture into the oat mix, until thoroughly incorporated. Let it chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll it into balls. Store in an airtight container or lunchbox, and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
The peanut or non-nut butter you use will make a difference in how well these stick together. If they are not holding together well, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more peanut butter. My creamy peanut butter holds these just fine with 1/2 cup.
You can use quick oats for this recipe, however, you might need to adjust the quantity since the mixture might be a tad sticky. If so, add more oats.
Whether you’re trying to stock up for emergencies, or simply bought too much at the grocery store, you’ll be happy to know that yes, you can freeze milk! Watch this video to see how it’s done, and then read the instructions below.
What better way to get some fruits and veggies into your kids’ diet than a refreshing smoothie! These 10 healthy smoothies for kids are perfect for breakfast, lunch, or even a delicious snack.
I don’t know about your kids, but mine get so excited when I give them a smoothie! Maybe it reminds them of an Icee or other frozen drink, but I don’t complain because I know I’m feeding them something really nutritious. You can pack so many healthy foods into a smoothie (fruit, veggies, seeds, yogurt).
These healthy smoothies for kids are great to give your kids for breakfast, or send in fun smoothie pops for lunch. We also love them as after school snacks! The possibilities are endless with smoothies.
So you have one of those 50-pound bags of rice – now what do you make with it? More importantly, what recipes can you make with rice that your whole family, even the kids will enjoy!
Today, I’ve got the top 10 family-friendly recipes made with rice. And if you really stocked up, you can learn how to freeze rice here.
If you’re wondering what an emergency food supply for a family might look like, you’re at the right place. And by an emergency food supply, I don’t mean those dehydrated meals or MRE’s (meals ready to eat) that taste like chalk.
On the other hand, no one wants to eat vegetables and beans out of a can for two weeks -unless you have no power, and it’s a natural disaster and emergency.
In this post, I cover what foods you should stock up on should you find yourself and your family at home for 2 weeks or more and want to continue to eat a healthy variety of foods.
Whether you find yourself quarantined due to the Coronavirus, political unrest, or natural disaster, it’s always a good idea to be prepared.
While there are other emergency preparedness items and supplies you might want to keep on hand, this post will cover the food aspect. For everything else, check out FEMA’s emergency preparedness list here.
Things to Know Before You Stock up (and spend a lot of money)
Going to the store and “stocking up on stuff” is not a good idea. It will be expensive, a lot of items will go uneaten, and you’ll find yourself eating the same foods day after day.
1. Take inventory of the food you already have at home.
With pen and paper on hand, head to your pantry, fridge, and freezer and write down the foods you already have and can consume first. There’s no need to buy more pasta if you already have a dozen boxes of spaghetti on hand.
2. Make a list of meals you can make today.
Look at the items you wrote down on your paper and write a list of simple meals your family will eat you can make using the ingredients you have. Any missing ingredients can be written down on a separate shopping list.
And while you’re thinking about meals, jot down meals your family will enjoy eating for additional days. Meaning, if you only have enough food to cook 6 full family meals, write down 8-10 other meals you can make with a few ingredients for the rest of the 2-week period.
Remember to keep things simple. And by the way, repeat meals as necessary since this is temporary.
3. Repeat for all meals.
While you might associate “meals” with dinner, you’ll need to do this process for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. See below for a recommended food list.
Now that you have the “on-hand” list, a “meals” list, and a “shopping list” with the missing ingredients to help you make those meals, let’s talk about what foods to buy to have on hand.
What Food to Stock Up On for CoronaVirus
Hopefully, you did the steps above to assess what your food needs are. Stocking up for emergencies can get expensive and it’s easy to “run out” without proper planning.
If you’re not the “planning” type and are thinking “just give me a list of food for coronavirus” I’ve got you covered.
Note that the meals you’ll be making with the ingredients below are not going to be a 3-course meal but you’ll go beyond eating “rice and beans” for two weeks.
1. Stock up on shelf-stable, meal-building, pantry ingredients.
Oats, pasta, rice, whole-grains, legumes, and flour are always a good idea. These ingredients only require water to be cooked and can often yield more servings than their measured volume.
These are also the least expensive items to purchase and a little goes a long way! Here are some examples of meals you can build with each:
Like rice and pasta, other whole grains like quinoa, farro, and barley can be used as meal builders and sides for other meals.
Legumes:
Beans, or legumes, are terrific to build meals because they are a good source of fiber, protein, and nutrition. It’s an inexpensive way of providing nutrition and can be easily be prepared with water and seasonings.
Tips: if you are short on storage space, consider buying bulk beans instead of canned. While not as convenient, you can get 4-5 times the amount of servings for the same cost from bulk dried beans.
1 15-ounce can of beans = 3 servings = $1.59 (avg) 1 32-ounce bag of beans = 26 servings = $1.79 (avg)
2. Stock up on Frozen Items
Freezer-space permitting, frozen counterparts to fresh vegetables provide the same amount of nutrition and can be stored in the freezer for long periods of time (1-6 months).
Frozen vegetables:
Spinach, broccoli, green beans pack a lot of nutrition per bite. Other favorites: carrots, brussels sprouts, and stir-fry mixes
Frozen fruits:
Blueberries, strawberries, peaches, cherries, and pineapple are all great choices because they are packed with nutrition from both vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber.
Should I stock up on Meat?
I’m a big fan of keeping a stash of frozen proteins like chicken, pork, and beef roast, in my freezer at all times. These should complement the recipes in your meal plans and not meant to be the bulk of the meal.
If you buy fresh meat at the grocery to freeze, consider it cutting it into smaller pieces or preparing it for the recipe you mean to use it in, add the spices or seasonings, and freeze in a labeled zip bag. Label everything.
If you are having trouble finding what you need in grocery stores or want to limit trips to the store, see how I’ve been ordering chicken and other meats online for months now. This resource is coming in handy right now too!
Best meats to keep in your freezer to build meals:
chicken breast
whole chickens
chicken thighs
beef pot roast or shoulder roast
ground beef
pork roast, pork loins
When considering proteins to purchase to stock up for an emergency, always buy the meats you’re most familiar with and most versatile with recipes.
I highly recommend purchasing seafood and fish if it’s available and your family will eat it. Remember, you’re meal planning for an emergency period. Ounce for ounce, seafood is more expensive than other animal proteins.
If you’re unsure whether or not you’ll eat the fish in the freezer but would like to get some of the benefits from seafood, consider buying canned seafood (see list below for recommendations).
How to Build an Emergency Food Supply
The most conservative approach to building an emergency food supply is to buy what your family will consume (realistically) for 14 days.
The best foods to use for an emergency food supply should require minimal cooking, limited ingredients needed to build a meal, and you can eat it on repeat.
Besides the above pantry staples and freezer items, canned goods are always a good idea.
Best Foods to Stock for Emergencies
At the end of the day, remember that the best foods to stock for emergencies are those that you will actually consume. Why waste your time and precious storage space on items you’ll never use? Exactly.
You can get ahead of the game by preparing some meals now with the food that you have at home and freezing it. This will save you time and open up fridge and pantry space for new ingredients.
Tip: freezing items flat in a zip bag will take up less room. And remember to label the contents inside the bag.
You might want to make some breakfast muffins or other baked goods and freeze them too.
Fruit: fruits without added sugar are a good idea. Look for fruits with a high vitamin C content, like peaches, oranges, pineapples, and grapefruit.
Vegetables: I recommend having some canned vegetables on hand because they are a great source of fiber, vitamin C, and other nutrients. Corn, carrots, peas, and green beans are great options. Another favorite: canned pumpkin. It’s not just for fall!
Beans: stock up on all varieties of canned beans (that your family will actually eat). Typically, I recommend 2 cans per meal, for a family of 4. Beans are easy to use, require no cooking, and can be turned into a meal quickly!
Pasta: this suggestion might make your kids extremely happy and give you a day off from cooking! Many canned pasta varieties are high on sodium so keep an eye out for that.
Simple canned cheese ravioli are kid-friendly, provides protein, carbohydrates, and are low in saturated fat.
Fish: love canned seafood because they are a wonderful source of omega 3s and can be cooked in a variety of ways. Stock up on:
tuna
sardines
mackerel
salmon
herring
Canned fish can be used in sandwiches, salads, and even “fish nuggets“.
How to Store the Food
While some people have large pantries, others do not. When space is limited, you’ll want to store shelf-stable pantry items in temperature-controlled rooms for maximum life-span.
Creative spaces to store food:
In bins or boxes under beds.
In your laundry room
In the space under your staircase
In your closets, high up or at ground floor
In the water heater closet
Under the couch
In the basement, if you have one
Fresh foods to buy for food storage – Perishables to keep on hand
While it seems like you’re preparing for an apocalypse, remember you’re preparing to be self-reliant for a 2-week period (more with proper planning).
Dairy: items like fresh milk can go bad before your 2-week period, so I recommend having on hand what you will consume before the expiration date. Otherwise, purchase shelf-stable milk or dairy-free alternatives that do not require refrigeration.
Did you know that milk can be frozen? It can! If you have the freezer space, buy milk in quart or half gallon sizes and freeze it. When ready to use, thaw it out in the refrigerator overnight and consume within 5 days.
Cheese: block and shredded cheeses last about 2 weeks in the refrigerator after opening so make sure to keep those packages sealed tight and only open when necessary. Some cheeses like Cheddar and Parmesan last about a month.
Fruit: although I just suggested that you stock up on frozen and canned fruits, some fruits have longer shelf life than others. Berries and other soft-skinned fruits have a short life-span, about 3-5 days post-purchase in the refrigerator, while others longer. I recommend you purchase and keep in the refrigerator:
Apples (all varieties)
Oranges & clementines
Pears
Bananas (buy green keep on counter, peel & freeze when very ripe)
I love stocking up on bananas. When they go ripe, I make Banana Oatmeal Muffins with many pantry staples.
Vegetables: few fresh vegetables will last longer than 5 days. This is fine if you’re purchasing foods for two or three weeks. The first week, use up everything fresh and after that, hit up the stash in your freezer.
Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes: when kept in a cool, dry place like your pantry these can last up to 3 weeks.
Onions & Garlic: they add lots of flavor to your meals and can also last up to two months when stored in a cool, dry place like the pantry.
Eggs: eggs have a long life in the refrigerator. It’s best to keep them in their original carton and they are usually labeled with an expiration date (about 3 weeks from the time of purchase). You can also freeze eggs!
Butter: essential to baking, spreading and cooking you can keep this in the fridge for a few months or in the freezer for a year.
Bread (sliced, muffins, tortillas, bagels, English muffins): no doubt, the bread you purchase today at the grocery will have a printed “Best by” date. You can extend their shelf life by refrigerating the bread or by keeping it in its original packaging and freezing, then toast or warm at room temperature as needed.
Other Cooking Essentials to Have on Hand
While you might only be thinking food that needs to be heated or cooked, there are other essentials most people overlook that are almost necessary to cook meals.
While it’s not necessary to stock up on these items, consider having these on hand:
seasonings and spices
oil spray and cooking oils
coffee (always a good idea IMO)
condiments and sauces
Snacks to keep on hand
While you might be inclined to purchase a bunch of “single packs” for snack time, stress eating is a real thing and can hit any of us at any time. Those granola bars? Gone. 100-calorie packs? Gone.
Try having these snacks in your pantry instead:
Dried Fruit: a small serving is nutrition and fiber-rich; so keeping these in your pantry is always a good idea. They can be used to top your oatmeal and baked goods. You can also make your own banana chips or apple chips to keep them longer.
Nuts and Nut Butter: an often overlooked source of protein that lasts a long time is a terrific option for snack time. A small handful of nuts have essential fats and minerals. Buy a big bag of your favorite and remember to seal it well to keep them fresh or keep them in the freezer (if you have room) for ultimate freshness.
When it comes to nut butter you’ll only need a couple of jars. There’s nothing wrong with making a PB&J sandwich and calling it a meal, that’s comfort food for many!
Seeds: also rich in nutrition seeds like flax, chia, and hemp are great to keep in your fridge. If you don’t typically use seeds, skip them. They aren’t cheap and while nutritious, save your money.
I placed seeds in the snack category because they are great to top yogurts, add them to smoothies, or add them to your morning oats.
Other Food Items to Consider
If you have a young child or baby, consider having enough baby food or formula, this is especially the case when it comes to special dietary needs.
If you have food allergies or special dietary needs in the family, make sure to have enough on hand so that you can provide safe and nutritious meals for everyone.
If you have pets, remember having extra pet food for them as well.
How much is a 2 Week Supply of Water?
The CDC recommends that you should have at least one gallon of water per person (and per pet) per day in your emergency stockpile. That means if you have four people in your family, you should have four gallons per day, and that’s just for drinking.
Do you need to stock up on water? Currently, there are no restrictions on water supplies due to the Coronavirus.
Below you’ll find some helpful posts on how to freeze many of the items suggested to stock up on. I bet you didn’t know you could freeze some of these!
In the end, no matter what you are planning your real-food storage for, remember to not over-do-it, plan smart, and create a plan for the food you purchased.
There’s no sense of spending a lot of money on food storage and having your food go to waste.
If you need a plan for your food to help you eat fresh foods, help you with meal prep, and tell you what to buy, check out our weekly meal plans.
