Healthy freezable meals to get you through winter

Winter is officially here with it cooler days, long dark nights and comfort food cravings. Unfortunately for many of us, it can bring more coughs and sniffles too.

Thankfully, it’s easy to satisfy those cravings and reward your future self by having healthy meals that can help support your immune system ready-to-serve straight from your freezer!  

From soups to pasta bakes, ratatouille to falafel, nutritious frozen meals are perfect for those nights when you’ve no time to cook, are feeling under the weather or simply don’t have the energy to make dinner (let alone think about what to make).  

Our top tip for meal prep success is knowing what to freeze as well as how to freeze, so your hard work isn’t wasted.  

Here are five of our favourite healthy, freezable meals to get you through winter:  

1. Roast broccoli and Brussels sprouts slaw 

Salad may not seem like your idea of winter comfort food, but this warming recipe is packed full of flavour and nutrition, and will add a good source of iron and vitamin C to your diet too. Vitamin C, known for its role in supporting the immune system, has long been linked to citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, but is also found in Brussels sprouts and broccoli, which both feature in this recipe.  

Bonus? Even though it’s a salad it’s freezer-friendly! Be sure to cool the dish completely before transferring into a freezer-safe container. Defrost in the fridge (ideally the night before) and then warm up in the oven at 180°, ready to serve immediately.  

2. Rainbow falafels

Falafel is a family favourite and is a great way to get more legumes into your diet. Legumes are a delicious, budget-friendly and versatile ingredient to add to winter meals – they contain important nutrients such as B vitamins, iron and zinc to help maintain energy levels during the cooler months.  

Perfect for wraps or salads, these ready-to-eat rainbow falafels are ideal to keep stocked in your freezer for any time of day.  

Freezer hack: Place the cooked falafels individually on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Simply reheat in the oven at 180° and enjoy.  

3. Eggplant and kumara dahl 

This veggie-packed dahl is high in fibre to support your gut health and help stave off some of those winter sugar cravings. You can easily double this recipe to make a larger batch (don’t forget to double the quantities) and freeze the leftovers for future lunches or dinners.  

Tip: Don’t have kumara on hand? Simply substitute for pumpkin, potato or another affordable and available veggie, or even frozen vegetables will work.  

4. Oat, barley and corn risotto 

Packed with wholegrains, this risotto is fibre-rich and full of nutrients. Including more wholegrains in your diet in winter can help you feel fuller for longer. Wholegrains like oats can also help to support your gut health and provide essential nutrients like iron which help support your immune system.   

Find more easy, affordable and healthy recipes like these in our Easy Eats cookbook.  

5. Smoky red kidney beans 

These versatile smoky red kidney beans are not only nutritious and delicious but budget-friendly too. Spoon them over baked potatoes or kūmara, place over wholegrain toast, or use it as a filling for burritos - it is the ultimate crowd pleaser. Packed with fibre and protein, this dish will also help to keep those tummies feeling fuller for longer.  

Tip: use tinned tomatoes in this recipe during the colder months when cherry tomatoes are out of season.