How Do I Package Meals For The Freezer
Another question that comes up a lot with how to meal prep freezer meals, is how to package the meals to go into the freezer.
Here is a break down of my best tips for how to store your freezer meals:
These will be your go to for any dump meals. They thaw out great in the fridge, and you just pour the ingredients into your slow cooker or Instant pot. It really doesnt get much easier than that.
- Food Storage Containers
Food storage containers are everything when it comes to freezer meals. I absolutely love these containers for leftovers, and these containers for any sauces or soups.
Alright, now that you know why freezer meals are next level amazing. And, how to best store them. Lets get to the yummy gluten free freezer meal recipes. Shall we?
Easy Meal Prep Recipes For Healthy Lunches:
Mason Jar Salads with Sesame Yogurt Dressing
Mason jar salads are healthy, portable salads, picnic ready and packed with nourishment! This vegetarian and gluten-free recipe will keep you fueled and energized all day! Seasonal vegetables, roasted chickpeas, and a homemade sesame yogurt dressing make for a perfectly balanced lunch at home or on the go.
California Quinoa Salad Collard Wraps with Edamame Pesto are a delicious vegan and gluten-free salad all wrapped up in healthy greens. The pesto adds a punch of plant based protein which makes this a nutritious power lunch or picnic lunch!
The Best Foods For Gluten
If youve been thinking about getting started with meal prep for a gluten-free diet, you may be wondering which foods and recipes are right for you. This post will give you some great ideas to get you started in the right direction with gluten-free meal prep.
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I just recently started meal prepping lunches this past fall, and realized just how much of a time and money saver meal prepping can be.
Not only do I set intentions for what Im going to eat ahead of time, but I can get all the ingredients at the store at once, prepare everything at once, and simply reheat individual portions when I need them.
The big question becomes what foods are the best to meal prep when youre on a gluten-free diet? Are there any ingredients or foods youll want to stay away from?
After some experimentation on all sorts of different recipes and meal ideas, I have a few tips on which foods are best for gluten-free meal prep.
When it comes to meal prepping for your gluten-free diet, youll want to think through which foods are right for preparing meals ahead of time.
Read Also: Gluten-free Italian Dressing Recipe
Gluten Free Meal Prep Recipes
Slow Cooker Meal Prep Burrito Bowls via Pure Wow // Just throw everything in the crockpot and youll have a weeks worth of meals with minimal work.
One Pan Korean Spicy Chicken Thighs with Gluten-Free Gochujang Sauce via Feed Me Phoebe // Spicy, saucy and pairs well with rice or cauliflower rice!
Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna via Half Baked Harvest // Switch out regular pasta for gluten free or vegetable lasagna sheets and have a delicious and healthy lasagna thatll last all week.
Meal-Prep Shrimp Burrito Bowls via Gimme Delicious // Spicy shrimp + grilled veggies pair perfectly for this meal prep friendly lunch!
Buffalo Chicken Ranch Whole30 Meal Prep via 40 Aprons // Since its Whole30 friendly, its not only gluten free but also extra healthy.
Paleo Tuna Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce via Lexis Clean Kitchen // These cute little tuna patties are so easy to make and filled with wholesome ingredients.
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps via Downshiftology // Ok, these look just like the cult favorite P.F. Changs lettuce wraps but way better for you!
Steak & Potatoes Meal Prep Bowls via Jar of Lemons // If youre a fan of classic meals, this combo is just that!
Amazing Mushroom Bowls with Kale Pesto via Pinch of Yum // Marinated, roasted and paired with my favorite kale pesto!
Is Meal Prep For You
Meal prepping can save your life, especially if you have a hectic schedule but still want to eat healthy food.
Just try it for a week, and you will see a big change in your health and in your wallet!
What are your favorite healthy meals to prep? Share them in the comments below!
SOME MORE MEAL PREP IDEAS AND TIPS TO INSPIRE YOU:
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Meal Prep Easy Gluten
Imagine that, gluten, a naturally occurring protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and triticale can be the cause of intestinal distress. Wow! All things considered, did you know that only about 7% of the worlds population is affected by eating products containing gluten? 1% of that 7% really needs to cut out gluten completely because they suffer from celiac disease. Therefore consuming gluten causes damage to the intestinal lining and related long term health complications. Meanwhile, the remaining 6% have much milder reactions to gluten which means they will only experience some gastrointestinal distress. Thankfully, Meal Prep on Fleek has a vast array of easy gluten-free recipes!
How To Pack Gluten
A lot of gluten-free lunch recipes involve finger foods, hot lunches, and salads so having the right container goes a long way. Containers with compartments and thermoses have proven to be the most helpful when it comes to packing non-sandwich lunches and Ive got an entire post reviewing the top MOMables lunch containerrecommendations which you can check out here.
Read Also: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Pasta
What Is Gluten Free
A gluten-free diet is one where gluten products, be they natural or processed are avoided and replaced with healthy substitutes. Therefore any food which contains the gluten protein is excluded from ones diet. The gluten protein has been shown to greatly assist the harmful symptoms and potentially fatal effects of celiac disease.
Further, a gluten-free diet claims health benefits increased energy and weight loss. Yet a gluten-free diet is not restricted to that special 7% of the population who suffer harsh intestinal symptoms. The health benefits of a gluten-free diet are available for everyone!
How To Start Your Gluten
Knowing where to start on your path to becoming gluten-free is tough. Spotting the hidden gluten within everyday foods like soups, salad dressings, and even ice cream is a very challenging part of the diet. Nutrition labels are your best resource, particularly the list of ingredients. Always read-through them carefully and stay on the lookout for sneaky ingredients like einkorn, durum, and emmer because they all contain gluten.
Food starches are another ingredient to watch. While they are derived from corn, wheat, potato, or rice, they should also be avoided, especially for people avoiding gluten for medical reasons. In some ways, the easiest way to go gluten-free is to make more of your meals and snacks at home using fresh, whole ingredients.
Starting a weekly meal prep is a great way to make eating gluten-free quick and easy. Rather than focus on what you cant eat, hone in on the virtually endless list of yummy foods that make up the gluten-free larder.
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What If You Need To Prep For Gluten Free Family Dinners Not Just Meals For One Or Two
Prepping a few ingredients works well if you’re just cooking for one or two. You may feel the need for a more formal meal plan if you’re cooking for a family though.
Prepping my top ten ingredients is still super helpful for breakfasts, lunches and last-minute throw-together dinners, but you’ll likely need more of a plan for family dinners.
You can keep it really simple and plan protein + veg + healthy carb meals for each night of the week. If you want more variety though, I encourage you to try my Prep Dish meal prep meal plans!
We provide gluten free meal plans . The best part? We design the meal plans around meal prep! So subscribers receive a full prep day guide for each week, along with an organized grocery list and dish day instructions. Our meal plans help you get the most of your weekly meal prep sessions. If you’re interested, sign up for a totally free trial below!
Easy Meal Prep Recipes For Healthy Gluten Free Breakfasts:
Grab n Go Gluten Free Breakfast Wraps
These sweet gluten-free breakfast wraps are the perfect grab and go breakfast! Portable, freezer friendly, and filled with wholesome simple ingredients! Literally a healthy breakfast bowl wrapped up to go 3 ways! Healthy breakfast wraps that will satisfy your hunger on a busy schedule.
Creamy Caramel Pear Overnight Oatmeal Crisp Smoothies
Gluten Free Caramel Pear Overnight Oatmeal Crisp Smoothies are a healthy dessert-style overnight smoothie recipe. You can enjoy these healthy smoothies for breakfast, post workout, or anytime the craving hits! Super creamy, packed full of fiber and protein, and they are delicious!
Flourless Peanut Butter Waffles
These Flourless Peanut Butter Waffles are not only easy to make, but also protein rich! All you need are a few healthy ingredients and they turn out light, fluffy, dairy free, and delicious! Freezable for breakfast meal prep or on simple grab and go! Truly one of our favorite waffle recipes!
Also Check: Is Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing Gluten Free
Criteria For The Best Foods For Gluten
With these criteria in place, you can create a ton of different dishes that are perfect for meal prepping. You can make one dish and reheat every day, or you could create a few different dishes, and have sides to go with them.
Before we talk about some of the foods that meet all of these criteria, lets talk about some of the foods that DONT.
Benefits Of Meal Prepping
Food ready to eat whenever youre hungry
Whether you love to cook fresh meals every day, or you feel like you never have time, meal prep is a great way to have something to eat ready whenever you have no time. If you are late from work or are just rushing out of the house at the last minute, have a meal ready to grab can be a lifesaver!
Eat healthy meals every day
The hungrier you are, the more tempted you get to buy unhealthy food. By cooking delicious food ahead of time, youll know exactly what you are eating. You can pick the right ingredients and make sure you add to your diet plenty of fruit and vegetables.
Save money on food
You dont have to meal prep every day, but by bringing your lunch from home 3-4 times a week, you can easily save more than $1,000 a year!
Also Check: Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcakes
Are These Dinners Meal Prep Friendly
These recipes are all meal prep friendly! Each post will have a section where it shares with you how to meal prep the recipe. If there isnt, let me know in the comments and Ill update that! In general, most of these recipes can be meal prepped for up to 4-5 days. Be sure to store them in an airtight container and if theres a dressing for a salad, store it separately to keep the salad fresh.
Recipe : Nut Butter Falafels
Meal prep tip: As far as gluten-free protein ideas go, this is one that you’ll find yourself coming back to again and again. Since the falafels cook at the same temperature as the salmon, you can roast them at the same time.
Yields 18 falafels
1 tsp onion powder
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Mix all of the ingredients together in a blender or food processor until they are well combined.
3. Roll the mixture into balls with your hands. If the dough is a little wet, add more almond flour, a little at a time.
4. Place the balls on a silicone baking sheet or a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Store cooked falafel in a glass container in the fridge for five days, or freeze for up to two weeks.
Also Check: Gluten Free Substitute For Bread Crumbs
Southwest Chopped Kale Salad
Whoever said that a salad couldnt be satisfying? This Southwest chopped kale salad is loaded with fresh kale, tender beans, and crisp veggies. Start by trimming away the thick stems from a large bunch of fresh kale then chop or tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Divide the kale among four salad bowls and top the salads with black beans, corn kernels, diced tomato, chopped red onion, and sliced jalapenos. You can also add fresh cilantro and green onions as well as a spritz of fresh lime juice for flavor. Drizzle with your favorite gluten free dressing and youre good to go!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Other Meal Prep Staples To Make Ahead Of Time
Quinoa: While the falafel and salmon are in the oven, use the stovetop or the microwave to cook two cups of quinoa to incorporate into a couple different meals later in the week. You’ll eat one serving tonight store the remaining cup of your cooked quinoa separately in a glass container in the fridge.
Roasted veggies: Once the falafel and salmon are done, crank the oven up to 400°F or 450°F to roast a tray of vegetables of your choice. The air fryer works well for this purpose, too. Eat some with your salmon and quinoa on Sunday, then store the finished vegetables in a glass container in the fridge.
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The Best 10 Foods For Gluten Free Meal Prep
Mar 26, 2021 | Meal Planning |
Gluten Free Meal Prep can be daunting if you’re new to it. Where to begin? Start with these 10 items and you’ll have healthy food all week.
As a somewhat type A person who loves to feel organized and prepared, I think meal prep is great for everyone.
But, I know from firsthand experience, it’s even more important if you’re gluten free. This is especially true if you’re just starting out on your gluten free journey. Casually picking up takeout gets a whole lot harder if you’re avoiding gluten, particularly if you live in a small town like I do.
Plus, if you’ve just given up gluten, or are working toward eliminating it from your diet, a lot of your standbys will no longer be options. This can feel limiting, but I promise that with just a little planning and prep, going gluten free is totally doable.
If you think of meal prep as all or nothing, it’s super daunting when you’re first starting out. Do you really have time to prep an entire week’s meals?
Don’t worry though! Even if you’re not ready for a full week’s worth of meal prep, even a quick meal prep session can make a big difference. Once you get the hang of that and meal prep becomes a habit, you just might find yourself doing more. There’s nothing like the feeling of going into a Monday knowing you have healthy meals prepped for the busy week ahead. It’s not just the time savings, but the mental relief of not having to worry about what’s for dinner.
