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Frozen veggies beat fresh for my wallet and my meal prep | Budget Friendly Meals - Free To Speak

Frozen veggies beat fresh for my wallet and my meal prep

I used to think fresh produce was always the better deal, but last month I did a side-by-side at my local Kroger. A bag of frozen mixed peppers cost $1.89 and gave me three stir-fry dinners, while the same fresh peppers ran me $4.50 and went bad after one meal. That math finally convinced me to switch, and I also noticed I stopped throwing out limp carrots and wilted spinach every week. The texture is honestly fine once you cook them into soups, rice bowls, or pasta sauce. I know some folks swear fresh tastes better, but for a single person on a tight grocery budget, frozen is the winner for me. Has anyone else made the switch after adding up their food waste like I did?

2 comments

2 Comments

xena_bailey181mo ago

And that frozen spinach is a lifesaver. I toss it straight into pasta sauce or scrambled eggs, no chopping, no slimy leaves in the drawer. Plus frozen corn and peas are basically the same as fresh to me, maybe even sweeter. Once you stop worrying about "fresh or bust," you open up a whole world of cheap meals. My grocery bill dropped like fifteen bucks a week just from that one switch. I honestly don't miss the wilted salads at all.

blairc901mo ago

Honestly, the thing nobody mentions is that frozen veggies are basically pre-blanched, so they cook faster and use less energy. That means my electric bill went down a little too, which is a bonus on top of the grocery savings. @xena_bailey18, you're right about the spinach, but I've also started using frozen okra and broccoli in the air fryer, and the texture gets way crispier than fresh ever does. Ngl, I've even stopped buying fresh herbs entirely, the frozen chopped basil and cilantro work just fine in cooked dishes and don't rot in the back of the fridge.