Freezer meals can be a savior for a busy weeknight, a rushed morning, or even a quick lunch. Skip the stuff in the box and make these simple, healthy meals to have on hand when all you have time for is to hit the reheat button on the microwave.

I’m a big fan of leftovers; I live by the “cook once eat twice or three times” mantra. While I love cooking, efficiency is my jam.

As we enter the final weeks of a family of 3 (don’t forget about the dog!) and prepare for the arrival of our tiny human, I’m feeling the need to really stock our freezer (is this a dietitian’s form of nesting?). While I don’t really know what life is going to be like with a newborn, I do know it will be busy and my time in the kitchen will be limited, at least in the beginning. I also know that eating nourishing food in those postpartum weeks is essential to recovery, giving my baby what it needs, and fueling my (sleep-deprived) body to boost energy. So, to keep us from eating pizza multiple times per week (though that would be my husband’s preference!), I’m stocking our freezer with a mix of ready-to-cook (read: drop in the Instant Pot or Crockpot and hit cook) or pre-cooked ready-to-eat meals.

After a number of friends asked me what I’m making, I realized that you might be interested in some of these ideas too! Whether you’re single and don’t want to have to cook overnight for yourself, are also expecting a baby and need nourishing food ready-to-go, or a busy mom or dad just trying to get a healthy dinner on the table between sports drop-offs and piano lessons, these meals are for you.

To get some inspiration, I turned to my fellow food-loving dietitians as well as a few of my favorite healthy food bloggers for recipes. I’m planning to make a few from each category over the next few weeks and I know I’ll be referring back to this post all winter long. Enjoy!

Breakfast

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Cookies from Sarah Gold Nutrition

Superhero Muffins from Run Fast Eat Slow Cookbook

Healthy Apple Muffins from Ali @ Gimmesomeoven

Breakfast burritos + additional freezer prep ideas from Kelly @ Eat Real Live Well

Soups and Stews

One Pot Wonder: Chicken, Kale, and Rice Soup from Edwina Clark

Chickpea and Vegetable Soup with Parmesan, Lemon, and Rosemary from NYTimes Cooking

Lucious Lentil Soup from Judith @ Food with Judes

Chicken Tortilla Soup from Edwina Clark

Wild Rice Soup from Pinch of Yum

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Guinness Irish Stew from Kara @ The Foodie Dietitian

Creamy Carrot Cauliflower Soup from Amy @ Amy Goin Nutrition

Chili

Slow Cooker Smoky Chipotle Chili from Sarah Gold Nutrition

Instant Pot Chicken and Sweet Potato Chili from Jessica Ivey

Hearty Beef and Bean Pumpkin Chili from Jennifer Hunt

Vegetarian Dinners

Edamame Falafel Patties from Jessica Ivey

Lasagna Florentine from Pinch of Yum

Veggie Pasta Bake from Sarah @ the Bucket List Tummy

Dinners for the Meat Eater

Slower Cooker Chicken and Vegetable Coconut Curry from Sarah Gold Nutrition

Rib Sticking Meatloaf from Liz @ Liz’s Healthy Table

Chicken Meatballs from Pinch of Yum

Meat Sauce from Jenna @ Eat Live Run

Freezer Beef Ragu from Pinch of Yum

I also am pulling some recipes from this post from Jenna @ Eat Live Run and this post from Lindsey @ Pinch of Yum.

Do you have favorite freezer meals? Share them here!