« Flash News September 2025

Cooking for 1 or 2 people can feel challenging when many recipes make large amounts of food. But have you considered cooking large portions and freezing for later use? Making a large casserole or soup and storing servings in the freezer can make for easy meals down the road; additionally, purchasing ingredients when they're on sale and freezing for later use can help keep food costs down. You can successfully freeze almost any food, with exceptions such as eggs still in shells or cans of food (once it's out of the can, it can then be frozen).

Is frozen food safe? Foods stored at 0°F will always be safe, the only thing that suffers is the quality of food the longer it remains frozen. Freezing keeps food safe for extended periods of time because it prevents the growth of microorganisms that cause spoilage and foodborne illness.

Does freezing affect nutrients and quality? Freezing does not destroy nutrients. Freshness and quality at the time of freezing affects the condition of frozen foods. If frozen at peak quality, foods will taste better after thawing when compared to foods frozen at the end of their useful life.

How long can I freeze foods?

Casseroles = 2-3 months

Frozen dinners or entrees = 3-4 months

Cooked meat = 2-3 months

Cooked poultry = 4 months

Soups and stews = 2-3 months

Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Services

Fiber is an essential nutrient that contributes to keeping our bodies healthy in multiple ways, such as:

Promotes healthy weight - fiber is slowly digested, which helps maintain feelings of fullness between meals

Manages blood glucose - fiber helps reduce blood sugar spikes

Heart health - helps manage cholesterol levels and reduce risk of heart disease

Maintains digestive health - aids in digestion, reduces constipation, and may reduce risk of colon cancer

Current dietary guidelines recommend between 25-34g of fiber per day. Fiber is found in a variety of plant foods such as vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, peas, lentils, and nuts or seeds. Increasing fiber intake can be as simple as consuming oats with berries and almonds for breakfast, having a sandwich with vegetables and hummus on whole grain bread/wrap for lunch with an apple on the side, air popped popcorn for a snack, and a dinner that includes brown rice or quinoa and roasted vegetables. You can even try adding vegetables and grains to a soup or stew. When increasing your fiber, be sure to do so gradually and with increased fluid intake throughout the day. Some natural sources of fiber include:

1/2 cup cooked lentils - 15g fiber

1 cup raspberries - 8g fiber

1/2 cup cooked black beans - 8g fiber

1 large pear with skin - 7g fiber

1 cup cooked sweet potato - 5g fiber

1/2 cup cooked quinoa - 5g fiber

1 ounce almonds - 3.5g fiber

3 cups air-popped popcorn - 3g fiber