Guide to safely freezing food to use later

When it comes to feeding your family, preparation is key – and the humble freezer can be a real lifesaver.

Freezing ingredients, meals and snacks allows you to serve healthy meals without stress, and avoid the cost and calorie blowout of regular takeaway food.

But if you’re not 100% sure how long you can safely freeze things, read on as we’ve got loads of info and tips for you. PLUS some delicious recipes that work well in the freezer, some of which are from our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.

As part of the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge we encourage you to meal prep and freeze food so that you can easily make a better choice for each meal and snack.

Meat: 3-6 months

Meat will store in the freezer for longer than this time, but the quality will be affected by the freezing process.

If you are storing raw meat, make sure you place it in the freezer before the use-by date. When you defrost the meat, aim to use it within that 24 hours.

It is important when defrosting meat, that it is done safely, either in the fridge or using the microwave.

Try freezing this: Beef San Choy Bau

Poultry: 6-12 months

Poultry will store in the freezer for longer than this time, but the quality will be affected by the freezing process.

If you are storing raw meat, make sure you place it in the freezer before the use-by date. When you defrost the meat, aim to use it within that 24 hours.

It is important when defrosting meat, that it is done safely, either in the fridge or using the microwave. Do not leave it out on the bench.

Try freezing this: Slow Cooked Chicken Tikka Masala (available to members of the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge).

Cooked rice: 1-2 months

This timeline is driven by food quality rather than food safety. Rice is susceptible to spore build up of bacillus cereus which can make you ill. When you are ready to eat it, make sure you reheat until steaming.

Try freezing this: Satay Fried Rice

Cooked pasta: 1-2 months

This timeline is driven by food quality rather than food safety

Try freezing this: Chickpea, Zucchini and Tomato Pasta (available to members of the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge).

Cooked muffins: 2-6 months

This timeline is driven by food quality rather than food safety

Try freezing this: Choc Chip Muffins

Chopped veggies: 1 month

This timeline is driven by food quality rather than food safety.

Freezing is best for vegetables that will be cooked after defrosting as the structure of the cells have been compromised by the freezing process and will be soggy when defrosted.

Try freezing the veggie component of this: Stir Fried Greens and Tofu (available to members of the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge).