11 Foods You Should Always Have In Your Freezer

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Whether you're a Doomsday Prepper who spends time stockpiling food in case all hell breaks loose and humanity has no access to their local Shoprite (oh, the horror!) or just a foodie who loves to have a whole bunch of goodies on hand in case the munchies begin to creep in, there's no denying you love your freezer. While refrigerators are great for food that requires short-lived cooling temperatures, freezers are beneficial due to their ability to keep food edible for months, if not years, at a time. The frigid temperatures ensure all your consumable stowaways don't spoil so in case the Apocalypse comes knocking at your door (or just a few friends), you've got plenty of food on hand.

But, what exactly should you keep in your freezer that's going to prove the most beneficial? Take a stroll down the freezer aisle of any grocery store and you're smacked in the face with an overwhelming number of options, but keep in mind most of them aren't worth your attention. So, if you're on the hunt for some freezer options that deserve real estate in that frigid chamber of yours, here are 15 of them that you certainly won't regret having handy.

"Eat your vegetables" was a three word sentence our parents used to say that packed a whole lotta disgust into our mood as children. No kid wants to consume a plate full of leafy greens when they know there is a tub of ice cream waiting patiently in the freezer, but alas, our parents' advice was on point. As adults, we understand far more the benefits of eating veggies, and it's in our best interest to incorporate them into as many meals as we can to keep our doctors smiling. That's why every freezer should have at least a few bags of frozen veggies ready to go.

Vegetables carry a ton of health benefits, such as the ability to "lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar, which can help keep appetite in check." Pretty good stuff here. Now, if you're wondering which veggies you should stock (obviously it also depends on taste preference), cauliflower, corn, broccoli, mushrooms, and spinach are nutrient-packed options that offer a ton of fiber, few calories, and a good amount of protein.

Who doesn't love lining a baking sheet with little circles of cookie dough that expand in the oven and emerge a warm, gooey disc of delight? Breaking out a tray of freshly baked cookies gets everyone in the room smiling, and that's why you should have a tube of cookie dough in your freezer at all times. You never know when you or your guests will start craving something warm, sweet, and ready to eat.

One of the reasons why cookies are such a great treat is the ease it takes to make them. Simply grab a small handful of the dough (which, on its own is also so darn good), mold it into a disc and let your oven do the rest of the work. Nestlé Toll House is one of the most popular brands of the dough, and it offers a variety of flavors outside of the standard chocolate chip. For those of us who might want to straight-up eat the cookie dough without dealing with the baking process, a company called The Cookie Dough Café actually makes edible cookie dough. That's right. All that nostalgia of eating raw cookie dough as a child comes flooding back when you take a bite. One satisfied customer wrote, "this tastes EXACTLY like the cookie dough that my mother made when she made her Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies ... It's definitely a yummy indulgence when you just need an occasional, flat-out, sugary fix."

Bread might be the bane of existence for anyone trying to cut carbs out of their diet, but that doesn't mean everyone should cower in fear when they smell a fresh loaf that just emerged from the oven. Sure, if you're packing away pieces of white bread you can expect little to no nutritional value, but white bread is far from your only option. There are plenty of types of bread that are packed with a multitude of whole grains that give you a punch of the good stuff to offset the fact that you're consuming carbs. These are the kinds of bread you should have available in your freezer.

Even though we have the idea in our heads that carbs are bad, they do serve a very beneficial purpose in our daily routines. A dietician named Natalie Mokari explained that "we need carbohydrates to function. Carbs are brain food. If you notice, whenever you don't have carbohydrates, you feel really sluggish, you might have brain fog, you just don't have as much energy." No one likes those sluggish days. So, when it comes to choosing the right kind, there are several variables you should look at. Avoid options that are high in fructose and other artificial sweeteners. Also, choose one that has a high fiber count as well as a low calorie count. If you know what to look for, you can easily find a healthy option that belongs in your freezer.

When you're in a pinch, yanking a ready-to-eat meal out of the freezer and tossing it into the oven or microwave can prove a lifesaver. Not everyone has the time or the energy to get home from a long and exhausting day of work with the energy left in their tank to crank out a big meal. That's exactly why so many of us stock up on the quick and easy stuff. We save time, energy, and often money as well. One of the drawbacks to these meals, however, is that since they're all prepackaged, they tend to carry a lot of poor nutrition with them. But if you know what to look for, you can have a variety of easy frozen dinners that won't have you feeling blah afterward.

One brand that provides great options is Healthy Choice. You can scoop them up at pretty much every grocery store, which is super convenient. No one wants to fall down an Internet maze trying to locate worthwhile products. For example, one of the flavors is Chicken Broccoli Alfredo, which at first can seem risky because of the alfredo sauce. However, it comes packed with 28 grams of protein and only five grams of fat. The Beef Teriyaki option hits with 14 grams of protein and only four grams of fat. Of course, if you can't find any Healthy Choice options there are companies like Earthbound Farms, Luvo, and Amy's that offer smart ways to make quick meals.

If you're someone who loves to satisfy your inner carnivore, then it's imperative you keep some meat frozen in your home in case you can't make it out to the supermarket to grab dinner. You can freeze pretty much any kind of protein, and the freezer allows you to keep it safe to consume for long periods of time. Whether you're a sucker for a juicy ribeye or a chicken leg enthusiast, stock up on your favorite meat and give it a home in your freezer.

Now, there are definitely right and wrong ways to freeze your meat, so pay attention. The USDA states that you can store food indefinitely in the freezer, but that doesn't mean the flavor and texture will hold strong. If you plan on freezing your meat or seafood for longer than a couple months, it's recommended you use foil, plastic wrap, or freezer wrap to preserve them. Placing the food inside an airtight bag also locks in freshness. In terms of how long you should freeze specific meats for maximum quality, it varies. Chicken, beef, lamb, veal, and pork can be kept for up to a year. Lean fish can keep for six to eight months, but fatty species should only be kept for two to three months. And three to six months is suggested for shellfish.