Frozen produce can be healthier than fresh. Flash-frozen within six to ten hours, those fruits are selected at their ripest.
FoodSafety.gov recommends freezing leftover cooked beef for two to six months, but only for quality.
Refreezing food depends on how you treated it after thawing. Passerrello says you can safely refreeze it if you defrost it in the fridge, not on the counter.
Many manufacturers are cutting sodium in response to customer health concerns. Check the label for salt content. No-salt versions are available.
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Freezing everything is safe—quality matters. Milk and cheese may alter texture but are safe. Passerrello suggests freezing single-serving milk cartons and using them as disposable, drinkable ice packs in your child's lunchbox.
Passerrello blames hazardous thawing on counter-warming meals. Bacteria will thrive if food sits at room temperature for hours.
Food thawing in water requires temperature. Hot water over frozen food (in leak-proof packaging) could be dangerous. Parts of your item can be frozen while other parts are hot.
Wrapped chicken breasts are not freezer-ready. Passerrello believes airflow through meat wrappers lets bacteria in and degrades quality in the freezer.
Frozen foods can make a nice dinner base, but they may not be well-rounded. A frozen breakfast with fruit and protein-packed yogurt or a kid's meal with veggies may be better.