Despite what you may have heard, the truth is that some frozen foods can actually be
pretty good for you, not to mention convenient. Here are some underrated
frozen foods to consider buying next time you find yourself in the frozen food aisle.
Frozen avocado might not be the best way to make avocado toast, but it's a handy ingredient if
you enjoy the taste of avocado in smoothies, salad dressings, and sauces, according to Cooking Light.
Most of the time, fresh avocados you buy at the store require constant monitoring to ensure
that you use them at just the right time. If you break into them too early, you get chunks of hard,
flavorless mush. Let them ripen for just a day too long, and you might as well throw the whole
thing away. Well, that's not strictly true, and there are ways to ripen avocados properly,
but it can still be frustrating to get the perfect avocado texture in your busy life.
But buying avocados frozen solves this common problem. Avocados,
like most fruits and vegetables, are frozen at peak ripeness, so the produce stays perfectly
fresh until you're ready to use it. And while frozen avocado can't always substitute fresh,
frozen is a great option for dishes such as avocado ice cream,
avocado smoothies, and even guacamole. Without the constant worrying that fresh avocados induce,
you'll have more time to fully appreciate the frozen version.
"Here, have an avocado."
"Yay!"
"Your mommy says it's a good fat, whatever the heaven that means."
Chef Chris Morgan of Washington, D.C. restaurant Maydan recommends buying frozen gyoza wrappers
for making dumplings, potstickers, wontons, and more. It turns out that many brands sell their
gyoza wrappers frozen, making it easy to keep a stash on hand at all times in your own freezer.
Plus, when you don't have to worry about the product going bad,
you can hoard the gyoza wrappers all you want, assuming you've got the freezer space.
Of course, you'll need to thaw the wrappers before using them,
but luckily doing so won't affect the structural integrity of the gyoza itself.
Many home cooks at Serious Eats suggest putting the frozen wrappers in the fridge to thaw,
claiming this slower warming-up method doesn't affect the overall texture of the wrappers.
The frozen variety is also helpful so as to avoid the potential stress of trying to make your own
gyoza wrappers. This shortcut allows you to enjoy well-made gyoza without sacrificing your time.
There's an easy way to have fresh edamame on hand whenever the mood strikes:
buy them frozen. Securing this type of edamame cuts down on cooking time
while retaining the fresh, springy flavor of this soybean. According to Kitchn,
edamame is one of the best vegetables you can buy frozen — and one of the best vegetables to eat.
"Listen let us celebrate this progress by sharing these authentic - edamame."
With high levels of protein, it's a great option for vegetarians, but thanks to its
fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, it can be a nutritious superfood for just about anyone.
In the freezer, edamame can last up to a year while retaining their full nutritional benefits, per Leaf.
During those 12 months, you can stretch your culinary muscles and try different methods
of cooking the edamame to see which option you like best. If you prefer edamame cold,
you can simply let it thaw on the counter until it's ready to eat. Alternatively, all it takes is
a quick minute or two in the microwave to have it served hot. We recommend serving it with a little
salt and lemon, but the options are infinite and you've got plenty of time to decide.
Not many people take advantage of the frozen grains available at most grocery stores.
Tamra Scroggins of Daily Grill recommends finding grains like brown rice, farro,
and quinoa in the frozen aisle to cut down on time
and guarantee perfectly cooked grains every time. As Scroggins told Insider -
"I like them because some grains can take up to 30 minutes to cook,
however, the frozen versions are all ready to go within minutes and cook at
the perfect temperature. It takes out all of the guesswork when cooking on the stovetop."
According to Popsugar, some frozen grains aren't quite as tasty as the steamed version,
but they still beat the boring, time-consuming prospect of cooking some parboiled rice.
Considering the frozen variety takes far less time to prepare than steaming dried rice does, it seems
like a fair exchange. To heat up these frozen grains, you can nuke them for a few minutes in the
microwave, or cook them on the stovetop. You'll want to avoid thawing them in the fridge, as this
can create a sticky, gummy texture. It's easier to just throw a bowl in the microwave anyway.
If you're trying to avoid carbs and have settled on cauliflower as a healthy alternative to regular
rice, we highly recommend opting for the frozen version. According to USA Today,
store-bought frozen cauliflower rice has smaller grains than you can get when you make it yourself,
which results in a quicker cooking process and, if you ask us, a better overall texture.
Buying cauliflower rice frozen also will likely save you a whole lot of money and cut down on waste.
Refrigerated cauliflower rice doesn't take long to go bad, but its frozen counterpart can
keep for at least 2 months. It's easy to pull it out of the fridge and heat it up to use as
a substitute for rice in any kind of dish. This means that it's a great vegetable to have on hand,
especially when you know it won't spoil immediately.
To cook, you can simply microwave it or heat it up in a saucepan.
Carrots aren't necessarily a go-to frozen vegetable for most people, but if you often
find yourself with shriveled carrots at the bottom of the vegetable drawer, frozen is the way to go.
Like fresh carrots, frozen ones can be used in all kinds of recipes, from smoothies to soup.
Carrots are nutrient-dense, and unlike some frozen vegetables,
they don't lose any health benefits when frozen. Cassandra Suarez, a dietitian based in Boston,
told The Healthy that carrots are an ideal frozen food because -
"the high levels of beta carotene and antioxidants have been locked into the vegetable through the
freezing process, ensuring that its powerful health benefits like improved vision,
beautiful skin, cancer prevention, and anti-aging don't disappear."
While it might be a little difficult to chop whole frozen carrots right out of the freezer,
blending them is a good option if you're in a hurry. If you've got a little extra time,
putting frozen carrots in the fridge to thaw provides an easy fix.
Phyllo dough is, simply put, one of the greatest inventions known to man. Some of the
best pastries out there, like baklava, center on this dough, which bakes up to a wonderfully crisp
texture in the oven. Keeping phyllo dough on hand in your freezer ensures that you're ready
to wrap just about anything in that buttery, flaky dough at a moment's notice. Phyllo dough is often
difficult to find fresh, so frozen is the way to go. The frozen variety is easy to use and the
experts have already taken the time to roll each layer until it's paper-thin so you don't have to.
Even so, frozen phyllo dough requires some time in order to get the most out of it.
Serious Eats recommends letting the dough thaw slowly in the refrigerator.
Leaving it out on the counter will cause the layers to stick together because of the
moisture that builds up when it comes to room temperature too quickly. But if you're careful
when using frozen phyllo dough, it can be a handy tool to accompany all kinds of ingredients.
Winter squash is highly nutritious and can be eaten with pretty much any kind of cuisine.
In the depths of winter, it may be hard to find fresh squash
in your area. For a quick fix, we recommend buying frozen winter squash that you can
stow away throughout the year for perfectly ripened butternut, delicata, or acorn squash.
According to Muscle and Fitness, winter squash is an especially desirable frozen food,
thanks to its health benefits. Not only do they taste good,
but winter squash may help decrease your risk of cancer and help manage blood sugar levels.
Buying winter squash frozen eliminates the need to remove the seeds from the squash,
which can get pretty laborious. Most winter squash can be difficult
to slice through due to its thick exterior. Frozen squash does the hard part for you.
According to Eat This, Not That!, frozen peas are one of the absolute best foods you can buy in the
frozen aisle at the grocery store. Full of protein and fiber, as well as a variety of important
vitamins and minerals, peas can keep you satiated while providing you with all kinds of nutrients.
Buying frozen peas doesn't decrease any of these health benefits, and they're easier to
use than fresh peas and you can add them to any number of your favorite dishes.
So, while many people use a bag of frozen peas as an ice pack on a sore body part -
"Ok - this is for the swelling of your face. Just rest on it."
- we recommend promoting your peas for a more lofty purpose.
Texas toast is a great frozen side option for meals, especially when eating Italian.
Frozen Texas toast is obviously easier to cook than the alternative, but it also leaves the
ratios of bread, butter, and garlic up to the pros. If you're looking for a flavorful addition
to a meal but don't have the time to focus on an elaborate side dish, this is a great solution.
If you want to be sure the flavors aren't diminished in the freezing process,
make sure you do your research beforehand. Taste of Home recommends Pepperidge Farm's
product if you prefer your bread on the crispy side and Great Value's if you're on a budget.
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Mashed videos about your favorite underrated foods are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.