Looking to do more meal prepping at home, but short on time? Or maybe you’d like to expand your variety of emergency options to keep in the freezer? We have some frozen staples for you to try, and they’re all VLCD-friendly!
You may have seen frozen Cascadian Farm products in your local grocery store. Did you know that they offer more than just frozen fruits and vegetables? Aside from the basics, they offer some unique veggie combinations, plus a hearty blend consisting of high-fiber starches mixed in with non-starchy veggies.
Here are Enara’s top picks from Cascadian Farm that stand out in a sea of frozen produce!
Vegetable Blends
Product: California Style Blend Vegetables
Ingredients: Broccoli*, Cauliflower*, Carrots*, Zucchini*
*Organic
Why We Love It: This blend contains veggies only — no salt, flavorings, or sauces here! This is a convenient way to add 4 different non-starchy vegetables to your meal in one go.
Product: Chinese Style Stir-Fry Vegetables
Ingredients: Green Beans*, Broccoli*, Carrots*, Red Bell Pepper*, Onion*, Mushrooms*
*Organic
Why We Love It: This is a slightly different take on stir-fry veggies that does not contain baby corn, water chestnuts, or snap peas. Maybe you’re not a fan of the veggies found in typical stir-fry blends. Or maybe you just want something different! This fits the bill.
Product: Mirepoix Blend
Ingredients: Organic Onion, Organic Celery, Organic Carrots
Why We Love It: Mirepoix is a traditional trio of vegetables used to start stocks and sauces and build flavor. But when you don’t have time for chopping vegetables, or you’re out of the fresh stuff, this blend saves the day.
Product: Riced Cauliflower Blend With Bell Peppers
Ingredients: Organic Cauliflower, Organic Red Pepper, Organic Onion, Organic Green Pepper
Why We Love It: This is a rather simple blend, but we could all use some variety from basic riced cauliflower. Try this blend roasted in Latin-inspired recipes in place of rice.
Product: Riced Cauliflower Blend With Stir Fry Vegetables
Ingredients: Organic Cauliflower, Organic Broccoli, Organic Red Pepper, Organic Onion, Organic Mushrooms, Organic Carrots
Why We Love It: This is similar to the previous blend, but includes even more types of vegetables. We think it would work well in fried “rice” recipes, like this one.
High-Fiber Starch + Vegetable Blend
Product: Powered by Plants Farro, Broccoli, Carrots, & Chickpeas
Ingredients: Cooked Organic Farro (water, organic farro), Organic Broccoli, Organic Carrots, Organic Chickpeas, Salt.
Why We Love It: This is such a simple meal hack! Just add lean protein and you have a balanced hearty meal. Notice how the only ingredients here are whole foods and salt. One cup frozen contains 100 calories, 5g protein, and 7g fiber. So, to make a VLCD-friendly meal, measure out 1.5 cups frozen and then add a serving of protein plus a small amount of healthy fat (optional).
Where to Find
Cascadian Farm frozen products can be found in major grocery stores including Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, Safeway, Target, CVS, H E B, Hv Vee, Cub Foods, and more.
