16 Healthy Frozen Meals to Make Ahead

Forget the freezer section! When it comes to healthy frozen meals, the best options are the ones you make yourself, from whole foods, in your own kitchen. These are some delicious, DIY healthy frozen meals that you can whip up over the weekend to eat like a king all week.

Frozen dinners definitely conjure up an image, don’t they? Maybe a mid-century nuclear family sitting in front of the TV? Each family-member has a divided plastic tray on top of a folding TV table.

Related: 16 Delicious Ways to Cook with Leftovers

Frozen meals certainly can be mindless convenience food, but you can also enjoy the convenience of frozen food at the family table, and you can definitely up the ante on the meals themselves. Instead of pre-fab food, these healthy frozen meals are ones you cooked in advance and reheat on demand.

Related: 19 Unexpected Uses for Your Freezer

1. Tahini Mac – Sarah says that she always divides this recipe into two pans—one to eat for supper that night, and one to freeze for later.

2. Ratatouille – You can serve up this hearty stew on its own with crusty bread or use it as a sauce for pasta or rice. It freezes like a dream!

3. Keema Lentils – These spicy ground lentils freeze well and are lovely over rice. Bonus points if you have leftover rice, so there’s nothing to cook at all!

4. Greek Vegan Pastitsio – This hearty, Greek-style pasta dish freezes and reheats wonderfully.

5. Refried Bean Burritos – Make a double batch of these, and freeze them individually for quick lunches and suppers.

6. Enchilada Casserole - Casseroles are great for feeding the freezer, and even kids love this veggie-packed pan of enchilada goodness.

7. Mexican Black Bean Burgers - Freeze these now, and you can reheat them in the oven when your next veggie burger craving hits.

8. White Bean and Avocado Baked Burritos – This recipe is like burritos meet a casserole and make a delicious, freezer-friendly baby.

9. Thai Green Curry Meatballs – Don’t let the name fool you: these freezable “meatballs” are totally plant-based!

10. Italian Garbanzo Bean Soup – Hearty beans and veggies make a great freeze-and-reheat meal. You can serve this on its own for a light supper or with a loaf of Italian bread.

11. Coconut Pumpkin Black Bean Soup – This is a recipe I created just for freezing and reheating, and it’s still my go-to when my friends and I plan a soup swap.

12. Seed & Carrot Loaf – Slice this loaf up into individual servings and reheat on the grill or in the oven when you’re needing a quick healthy frozen meal.

13. Butternut Squash Stew – Like most stews, this one might be even better after you’ve frozen and reheated it. Serve with your favorite grain, over baked potatoes, or with bread for dipping.

14. Smoky Millet Pinto Bean Patties – These reheat just like any veggie burger. You can serve them on a bun, over a salad, or as a main dish.

15. Vegan Chili – Crumbled tofu is the secret to this hearty chili. A perfect freeze-ahead meal for fall!

16. Chickpea Stew – This hearty stew freezes well. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

All images via recipe authors, used with permission.