Healthy Eating 101 Good Food Fast The Freezer Essentials to Keep on Hand for Fast 15-Minute Meals Keeping your freezer stocked with key items means meals can be ready in a quick 15 minutes. These items take the stress out of meal planning and help you save some major time in the kitchen, whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner time. By Andrea Mathis, M.A., RDN, LD Andrea Mathis, M.A., RDN, LD Facebook Instagram Twitter Website Andrea is an Alabama-based registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of the healthy food blogs, Beautiful Eats & Things, and Little Eats & Things and author of The Complete Book of Smoothies. Andrea has worked in several healthcare settings including clinical, public health and long-term care. Andrea believes in achieving optimal health by incorporating healthier eating habits into your lifestyle and making healthy eating fun! When she's not running after her two boys, she enjoys creating content to encourage self-love and promote body positivity. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on May 3, 2021 Reviewed by Dietitian Victoria Seaver, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Victoria Seaver, M.S., RD Instagram Twitter Victoria Seaver is a registered dietitian and Associate Editorial Director for EatingWell.com. She completed her undergraduate degree in nutrition, dietetics and food science and her masters degree and dietetic internship at the University of Vermont. Victoria has been a part of the EatingWell.com team since 2015. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Share Tweet Pin Email A well-stocked freezer is the answer to those quick, last-minute meals as well as those late-night munchies. Keeping your freezer stocked with healthy items that come together quickly— like frozen vegetables, ravioli and pizza crust—can help to take the stress out of meal planning and make your weeknights easier. To help you save time in the kitchen, we've compiled a list of the top freezer essentials to keep on hand for fast meals ready in 15 minutes flat. See More: The 10 Best Frozen Foods at Trader Joe's, According to Employees Tortellini, ravioli, gnocchi and dumplings Carolyn Hodges, M.S., RD Pasta is served at least once a week in most homes. It's super convenient and a great way to whip up a delicious meal in a hurry. It's also fulfilling and very satisfying. There are several different varieties that you can keep on hand. A few popular choices include, tortellini, gnocchi, and ravioli—there is so much you can do with these ingredients! And don't forget things like frozen dumplings. Dip them in some soy sauce and serve with a quick cucumber salad and you have a delicious dinner in no time at all. 15-Minute Recipes to Try: Pesto Ravioli with Spinach & Tomatoes Mediterranean Ravioli with Artichokes & Olives 3-Ingredient Cheese Tortellini with Tomatoes & Basil fCauliflower Gnocchi with Asparagus & Pesto Frozen fruit Carolyn Hodges, M.S., RDN Frozen fruit is always a great choice to keep on hand. It can be used to make a variety of recipes, such as smoothies, fruit tarts, cobblers and muffins. You may not realize this, but frozen fruit is just as healthy as fresh fruit. That's right—it's picked at the peak of ripeness and flash frozen, meaning that you're still able to get all of those great nutrients. Some popular choices to keep on hand include strawberries, pineapple, mango, blueberries, cherries and blackberries. 15-Minute Recipes to Try: 3-Ingredient Tropical Tangerine & Kefir Smoothie Berry-Almond Smoothie Bowl Strawberry-Yogurt Parfait Pie crust and puff pasty Carolyn Hodges Ready-made pastry is one of the best shortcuts ever! Frozen pie crusts and puff pastry can be used to make desserts like pies, tarts and cobblers, but also savory dishes, like Skillet Chicken Pot Pie and—our favorite—quiche, which makes for a great breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. 15-Minute Recipes to Try: 3-Ingredient Egg & Mushroom Puff Pastry Rolls Asparagus & Feta Quiche Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Quiche See More: How to Make Easy 5-Ingredient Quiches Breads Ted and Chelsea Cavanaugh Did you know that bread keeps longer in the freezer versus the refrigerator? And by keeping a loaf on hand in your freezer, you're just a few extra ingredients away from easy sandwiches, toast topped with eggs and avocado or blackberries and goat cheese for a sweet take, and so many other meals. And it doesn't stop at regular old sliced bread—you can stash away English muffins, tortillas, pita bread and naan for variety.To make sure that you are getting a great source of fiber and nutrients, try stocking up on whole grain or multigrain breads. 15-Minute Recipes to Try: Apple & Cheddar Pita Pockets Veggie & Hummus Sandwich Garlic, Sausage & Kale Naan Pizzas Feta, Egg & Olive Pita See More: Make-Ahead Freezer Meals Pizza dough or frozen veggie pizza crusts Nowadays, pizza crust goes beyond your basic white or whole-wheat dough. You can also find frozen cauliflower pizza crust, broccoli pizza crust and other tasty options, which are not only convenient but also help to add an extra serving of veggies to your day. Top with a little tomato sauce or pesto, cheese and some veggies and your meal is done! 15-Minute Recipes to Try: Sausage, Mushroom & Pesto Grilled Pizza Buffalo-Chicken Cauliflower Pizza (use a frozen cauliflower pizza crust to speed up the recipe) Thai Peanut & Herb Grilled Pizza The 8 Pantry Staples to Keep on Hand for 3-Ingredient Dinners on a Whim Shrimp Frozen shrimp is a great choice to keep on hand. It can be used in a variety of dishes and it is a great source of lean protein. Most seafood is frozen immediately after it's caught, which means you're getting fresh, high-quality seafood. Frozen shrimp defrosts very quickly and can be easily served as a main course, with a veggie or quick-cooking whole grain. 15 Minute Recipes to Try: 15-Minute Shrimp & Coconut Curry with Eggplant Quick Shrimp Scampi Quick Shrimp Puttanesca 7 Ingredients You Should Always Have in Your Freezer for Fast Healthy Meals Frozen vegetables No freezer is complete without an assortment of frozen vegetables. Frozen vegetables are extremely versatile and can add important nutrients to any meal. You can serve them as a tasty side dish, or combine them with a few other ingredients to create a tasty soup or casserole. A few great choices to keep on hand are broccoli, green beans, peas, corn and edamame—they hold up well in the freezing process and can be tossed into a delicious 15-minute dish such as this Teriyaki Chicken with Broccoli. You can also customize this recipe and swap out the broccoli for any veggies that you have on hand. 15-Minute Recipes to Try: Lentil Curry with Cauliflower Rice Catalan Spinach Sauté (top with a fried egg to make it a meal) Spanakopita Scrambled Egg Pitas Easy Pea & Spinach Carbonara Tortellini Primavera See More: 24 Easy Recipes with Frozen Veggies Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit