Freezer-Friendly Plant-Based Dinner Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Can you freeze plant based meals? ›

In general, all soups, chilies, bean dishes, veggie burgers, burritos, and breads freeze well. Besides freezer meals, freezing individual componenets of a meal is very handy. Individual portions of cooked rice or quinoa, chopped vegetables, cooked legumes, sauces.

Soups, stews, lasagna, empanadas, and pie dough are some of our favorites to freeze—check out more ideas below.

How Long Do Frozen Recipes Last? Great news, according to the USDA, frozen meals are safe to eat indefinitely. However, after about three months, the quality (i.e. flavor and texture) of food can degrade. Therefore, we recommend eating foods within three months of stashing them in the freezer.

You can buy all sorts of frozen vegetables, and some brands of “tv dinners” have vegan options that are reasonably healthy. If you really wanted to, you could solely buy these foods and probably live a healthy life. Just be sure to read the ingredients and focus on actual plants, not extracts and “protein isolates”.

In the freezer, the Fake Meat would last for a year. Ideally, cooked vegan meats last for a week or three months, in the refrigerator depending on the ingredients. Look at the package and don't push the date by two to three days. Vegan meat can be made from seitan, jackfruit, peas, green spelt, tempeh.

Excessive Sodium, Sugar, and Saturated Fats

One of the primary dangers of grocery store frozen meals is their high content of sodium, sugar, and saturated fats. Even so-called “healthy” pre-packaged frozen meals can contain excessive amounts of these additives.

Schmidt tells us that, for best results, you can keep mashed potatoes in "a freezer set to 0°F or colder" for "up to one year." At this temperature and for this length of time, frozen mashed potatoes can be thawed and reheated without losing texture or flavor (and without risking the transmission of foodborne bacteria) ...

What vegetables freeze best? ›

Mushrooms, avocados, spinach, rhubarb (yes, it is a vegetable!); beans, carrots, broccoli can all be frozen. If they naturally have a high-water content, it's best for them to be pureed, sautéed, stewed before freezing.

It depends on the cut. A whole chicken or turkey can be kept in the freezer for up to one year. Chicken or turkey in pieces can be kept in the freezer for up to nine months. Ground chicken or turkey is best consumed within three to four months if frozen from the date of purchase.

Yes! Freezing fresh or cooked pasta by itself is the best way to do it. Cook your dry pasta al dente (which should be your plan anytime you cook pasta, especially if it is going into a hot sauce that will inevitably keep the cooking process going). Let it cool completely.

Frozen rice can be kept in the freezer for up to 6 months and still be tasty. After that it loses flavor and dries out but won't be unsafe to eat. An airtight container is your best defense against losing quality so vacuum sealing is great if you have that tool in your kitchen.

Can you freeze Beyond Burgers? If products are purchased thawed, we do not recommend refreezing and suggest following the stickered best by date. If the product was purchased frozen, it can be stored in the freezer following the printed best by date.

If stored properly in airtight containers or freezer bags, vegan freezer meals can last for 3 - 6 months in the freezer. Of course, if you see any white or brown spots, discolouration, or crystal formation on your food, you should throw it out because it will likely not taste very good!

Yes! You can freeze Impossible meat to use later. To make sure it stays fresh, we recommend it spend no more than three days total thawed once the package has been opened, and that you finish it off before the "best by" date printed on the back of the packaging.

Storage Tips:

Plant-based meat alternatives typically last unopened in the fridge for about 7 to 10 days; however, this can vary by brand, so always check the expiration date. Once opened or cooked, store leftovers in the fridge and consume them within 2-3 days to reduce the risk of bacterial growth.