This past weekend, I spent two hours of my life chopping vegetables, putting cheese, meat and seasonings in bags. After filling these bags I pressed all of the air out of them and put them in my freezer. These bags have become this week’s dinners. These bags are called freezer meals, or make ahead meals.

My mom went on Google and found these meal. They claim to be healthy, easy meals for families. We tested them out this week and this is what we’ve found:

Use starch.

The meals contained a lot of liquid when they cooked. The base of the meal became like a thin pasta sauce. Putting rice or pasta under it makes it a more filling and less liquid based. It also makes it easier to eat.

Vegetables are watery when frozen.

When you put a vegetable in a freezer they begin to release the water trapped in them. This makes the whole meal have more water. This takes away from the taste of the meal in general.

Seasoning is key.

When the water leaks out of the vegetables it makes the whole meal taste less flavorful. I’d recommend adding extra seasoning during the cooking process.

They’re simple.

These meals are super easy to follow and take very little time. You just make them one day and cook them the following week in a slow cooker.

Over all these meals are very tasty and easy. They can be made simply and are great for busy families.