11 ways to take advantage of frozen foods at Christmas

The holidays are a busy time of year, especially when it comes to making meals. An easy way to cut down on the stress is to take advantage of the myriad of frozen foods available. From berries, pineapple, peaches and bananas to broccoli, cauliflower and carrots – there are so many frozen food items to choose from.

The British Frozen Food Federation has kindly given us tips for 12 ways to use frozen foods this holiday season!

1. Buy frozen food and save money

A study by Manchester Metropolitan University found frozen food offers around a 30% saving compared to fresh or chilled foods. For an average family, this equates to a huge saving of £1,500 a year.

2. Remove stress from Christmas dinner

Frozen food can remove a lot of the stress from cooking at Christmas, as pre-prepared festive foods are available from turkeys to parsnips, carrots and green beans. And less preparation means less washing up!

3. Maximise nutrients with frozen food

When food is frozen as soon as it is picked or prepared, the freshness is locked in. With no need for preservatives, just turn the temperature down to activate ‘nature’s pause button’.

4. Get your frozen turkey now and avoid the rush

Buying your turkey frozen in advance this year means you can miss the rush in the week before Christmas and still have the same high quality and premium taste that you would expect from the centrepiece of your Christmas dinner.

5. Try ready prepared trimmings

Almost all the nation’s favourite trimmings are available ready prepared in the frozen aisle – whether you love roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, honey roasted parsnips, or even Brussels sprouts! Buying frozen saves time on preparation and cooking whilst making sure that the flavours on your plate are effortlessly exciting, varied, and festive.

6. Take advantage of vegetarian and vegan options

The variety of frozen food available means that vegetarians and vegans can enjoy a delicious Christmas dinner. Options like nut roasts and sweet potato wellingtons in the frozen aisle mean that alternative roasts are even more straight forward, tasty, and nutritious than you might think.

7. Enjoy seasonal foods available all year round

As frozen food is available all year round, you get the pick of the crop from the freezer. Foods like summer berries can be enjoyed in the depths of winter without paying more for imported or forced-grown produce.

8. Use frozen cranberries for sauce, cocktails and baking

Frozen cranberries are ideal for making your cranberry sauce. With frozen cranberries, the freshness is locked in which will make your sauce the best it can be, and you can also use your frozen cranberries for your favourite Christmas cocktails!

9. Reduce waste by cooking only what you need

With frozen food we can cook only what we need and save the rest for a later date. Using pre-prepared frozen vegetables also reduces food waste in the supply chain due to the use of ‘wonky veg’ that wouldn’t make it onto the supermarket shelf as ‘fresh’. Reducing the amount of food waste before we have even got to the checkouts is the right thing to do.

10. Try frozen desserts

Whether you prefer cold or hot puddings, frozen desserts will please everyone around the dinner table and mean that you can stock up in advance to have sweet treats that will last all the way through the festive season. Our tip: Try Unearthed’s Pastel De Nata Portuguese custard tarts (you can thank us later).

11. Freezers aren’t just for Christmas

Buying frozen food is an affordable, nutritious, and convenient way to enjoy great tasting and high-quality food all year round. Not only can frozen food save you money and time, but it can also remove a lot of the stress from trying to fit cooking healthy meals into your busy schedule.

Next time you are in the supermarket, make sure to have a look in the frozen food aisle to see the range of great frozen foods which can become a staple in your weekly shop.

More Christmas cooking inspiration

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