“My thanks for a lovely dinner, dear, it was truly satisfying,” my spouse commented one evening. “I’m delighted you enjoyed it, considering I prepared it two months ago,” my unexpected reply surely wasn’t what he had anticipated and his expression subsequently reflected a hint of worry, even repulsion. To clarify, I hadn’t served him a meal left to languish in the refrigerator but instead a dish from my repertoire of make-ahead freezer meals.
Freezer meals are all the rage on platforms like Pinterest. The idea of dedicating an entire day or weekend to meal prep for the month, and subsequently freezing them, is a commendable yet exhaustive endeavor. Although I relish the convenience and problem-solving aspect of these pre-prepared meals, the planning and list-making that the whole process requires can sometimes become laborious. My intent is to keep my freezer cooking sessions as uncomplicated as possible. A platform called Once a Month Meals aids in achieving this objective.
Once a Month Meals takes care of everything except for the actual cooking and cleaning. With a subscription, one gains access to an array of menus, catering to various dietary preferences – be it Paleo or Gluten and Dairy-free. Your involvement is rather straightforward – choose your preferred menu, print the necessary grocery list and instructions, and you’re set. The attractive feature of this platform is the flexibility it offers in swapping meals within different menus.
A unique offering of Once a Month Meals is the Mini Menu series, ideal for when you wish to limit meal prep to a few dishes. My personal favorites are sourced from the mini Paleo Kid’s menu and the Chicken Mini Menu sans substitutions.
In terms of monetary savings coupled with time-efficiency, freezer meals remain unbeatable. I have found enjoyment in the 5-Dinners-in-1-Hour style meal prep, but admittedly, I prefer cumulating all the effort once a month instead of weekly. Despite the resultant fatigue post the meal prep marathon, the satisfaction of having to spend less than 5 minutes on dinner for the rest of the month is downright thrilling. Another advantage is the minimal cleanup which involves merely discarding the used bag or washing a single dish.
What’s your take on freezer meals?
I would like to mention that all views expressed here are solely my own. Once a Month Meals offered a complimentary trial membership. All image credits go to Once a Month Meals.
