Happy National Frozen Food Month!

In March 1984, the National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods Association launched the first National Frozen Food Month in an effort to increase frozen food sales. To this day, frozen meals fill our grocery store aisles and freezers of Americans with hectic day-to-day lives.

In 1924, Clarence Birdseye invented the flash freezing method that we know today to lock in the flavor and freshness of meals. Introduced to the American public in 1929, frozen foods have become a staple for working around life’s ever changing pace.

A fast, easy, and delicious solution to food preparation, there is no better time than the month of March to take a break from shopping, preparing, and all of the work that goes into cooking. Instead, kick up your feet and let the meal cook itself.

What is Flash Freezing?

Flash freezing is the process of freezing an item quickly with cold air circulation at sub-zero temperatures. This is completely different than the act of freezing your own meals in your freezer at home, which will form ice crystals between the fibers of your food as it loses its nutritious juices.

As the Midwest food delivery service Five Star explains, “flash-freezing maintains the food without the use of artificial preservatives. When you hear things like ‘fresh, never frozen,’ doesn’t it make you wonder what they’ve added to your meat to preserve it?”

Our Heart to Home Meals’ dishes are flash frozen and have vacuum-sealed, oven- and microwave-safe plastic film that can withstand up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Our meals have cooking instructions on every label to differentiate the preparation time for whichever method you choose to cook your meals.

Does Flash Freezing Affect Food Quality?

With food, especially frozen food, understanding expiration dates and how it impacts the quality of the product can be difficult.

American consumers misread date labels and throw away as much as $32 billion worth of food each year. To reduce food waste, the FDA provides specific guidance on how to read expiration and “Best Before” or “Best By” labels.

Date labels:

• You can eat foods after the “Best Before” and “Best By” date have passed, when stored correctly
• The “Best Before” and “Best By” date is used to determine when food is at its peak quality and flavor
• The “Use By” or “Expiration” dates specify when a product’s integrity and safety will begin declining
• Do not eat products that are past their “Use By” date, which will be clearly indicated on the packaging.

Heart to Home Meals utilizes “Best Before” dates on each meal’s nutrition label to indicate when the food is past its peak quality. These meals can still be safely eaten after the “Best Before” date has passed.

Benefits of Frozen Foods

Frozen foods are convenient and delicious with many benefits that can contribute to your daily routine and diet requirements.

According to Dr. Esther Ellis MS, RDN, LDN:

• Frozen foods preserve their vitamins and minerals, and in some cases, have more nutrients than fresh foods
• Flash frozen food does not alter the carbohydrate, protein, or fat content of the meal
• Frozen meals can benefit those with limited amount of utensils and kitchen space, as well as reduce food waste

Flash Frozen meals are considered healthier for you and your family by Five Star Home Foods Inc. because:

• Frozen vegetables are not stored in grocery stores for weeks at a time losing vitamins. They are picked, washed, and blanched within the hour, locking in the nutrients and goodness.
• Flash freezing food reduces harmful bacteria.

The next time you are considering taking a trip to the grocery store, call Heart to Home Meals USA instead at 508-658-3000 or place an order online at www.HeartToHomeMeals.com and have healthy frozen meals delivered right to your door! Our friendly drivers are more than happy to unpack your meals with you or answer any questions you may have in the comfort of your own home.

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