11 Foods You Should Always Have In Your Freezer

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.

Who doesn't love when pizza is on the menu? Whether you're a kid or an adult, staring at that glistening, cheesy disc of freshly cooked dough with love in your eyes will get your appetite kicked into high gear and your salivary glands standing at attention. Pizza is simply awesome. Not only is the combination of marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese great, but the sheer number of ingredients you can add to a pie to enhance its flavor tenfold is mind-boggling. And, for these reasons, pizza should definitely be a staple freezer food.

Of course, if you're going to have a frozen pizza taking up space, then you better be darn sure it's one that is well worth your time and money. Not every frozen pizza is created equal, as you can imagine. One brand you should keep an eye out for is Amy's. Amy's has a nice variety of pies so you won't find yourself shackled by the basic, boring stuff. Amy's offers options like mushroom and olive, roasted veggie, and Italiano four-cheese. It also offers vegan options for those with strict dietary restrictions. One customer had this to say about the pies: "The flavor is wonderful! ... Skies the limit with combinations. Nice quick dinner as well. Follow the instructions of putting it directly on the oven rack, it cooks perfectly that way."

"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.

Ice cream is the sugary treat that we all love to scream about, and for good reason. There are so many different types and tasty ingredients you can bury in it to elevate the flavor. Of course, we all know that plowing through a tub of ice cream several times a week isn't a great decision in terms of a healthy lifestyle, but you have to treat yourself once in a while and take in all that stuff doctors tell you to avoid. That's why having a tub or two of the frozen dessert is a great freezer addition.

Now, even though ice cream doesn't wave the health flag loud and proud, there are actually some positives to it, which is great for anyone who loves breaking out the spoon and going to town on some Ben & Jerry's. You might be surprised to learn that ice cream actually gives you a good amount of vitamin A, B-6, B-12, C, D, and E. It also contains vitamin K which is essential to blood clotting, as well. The dessert is also packed with energy-producing nutrients like carbs, fats, and protein, and it contains minerals for healthy bone growth like calcium and phosphorus. So, the next time you're thinking about cracking into a pint, know that it's not only your palate that's getting treated well.

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."

Fruit is the candy of the Earth. It has sugar, but not the processed stuff that's detrimental to our health, and there are so many different varieties that you'd be hard-pressed not to find one that gives you that perfect sweet fix. But there are far more benefits to fruit than just the sweet taste. A diet jam-packed with fruits can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, help stave off various kinds of cancers, and up your fiber and potassium levels. Not to mention that filling up on fruit also means you're not consuming tons of calorie-heavy foods, either. So, do you and your body a favor and stock up on some frozen fruits.

There are plenty of companies out there that sell bagged frozen fruits, one of them being Seal the Seasons. The company offers a huge variety, like the Carolina mango mix, North Carolina berry blend, New York tart cherries, and South Carolina sliced peaches, to name a few. Customers who purchased them loved the options, with one saying, "Delicious frozen berries. Great added to smoothies. Wonderful added to cereal. Delicious eaten by themselves as a frozen des[s]ert. I recommend them," and another adding "I really liked the fruit and selection. It tasted SO yummy and I could tell it was made with good ingredients. I blended some into a smoothie and it was SO good."

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.

Shrimp is the popcorn of the ocean. It's bite-sized, delicious, and you can toss it down your gullet by the dozens. The meat is succulent and if you get them fresh, they offer a sweet ocean flavor that absolutely dazzles your palate. Shrimp can be added to so many dishes and you can cook them in a variety of sauces to bring out even more of the flavor. This is why if you love treats from the sea you should definitely have a bag of frozen shrimp nestled in your freezer.

No, when it comes to shrimp (and most other seafood), quality is of the utmost importance. Anyone who's bitten into a piece of old or spoiled shellfish knows how absolutely abysmal – and incredibly dangerous – of an experience it can be. When buying shrimp, you always want to check for any preservatives that might sneak their way in, like sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium bisulfite, and everfresh. You might want to also do a bit of research to find out where the shrimp came from. If the shrimp is farmed you run the risk of ingesting pollutants that the shellfish absorb from the surrounding area. But, if you do your due diligence, you'll find the right bag of shrimp that deserves a home 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.

"Rice is great when you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something." This hilarious Mitch Hedberg joke pretty much sums up rice perfectly. There are so many varieties of rice that you can find one to pair with pretty much any entrée, but eating it on its own is great too. Sure, some people might avoid rice because of the carbs, but there's no denying it serves a tasty and filling purpose on a plate. If your freezer is lacking a bag of frozen rice, it'd be in your best interest to change that.

Now, if you plan on stocking your freezer with some rice, there are three kinds you should look for that offer the best health benefits. Black rice, although sometimes difficult to find, tops the list. It's packed with fiber and a bunch of other nutrients that help lower cholesterol, promote a healthy gastrointestinal tract, and help chronic disease stay away. Long-grain wild rice is another great option. Along with the benefits of black rice, it contains Vitamin C and antioxidants. The third type is brown rice. This kind is packed with Vitamin B, zinc, and magnesium, and it also aids bacteria in your stomach to help with digestion.

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.

Having stock on hand is super convenient when it comes to cooking so many dishes, like soups, stews, curries, sauces, and even risotto. Stock is chock full of all the vitamins, minerals, and collagen proteins that cook out of bones. You can also add a ton of veggies and herbs to stock to bump up the nutritional content even more. While stock is, many times, confused with broth, a dietician named Alissa Rumsey explained the difference. She said, "Both broth and stock provide a great variety of nutrients, however stock is generally more nutrient-dense because it has more carbohydrates, fat, protein, and vitamins/minerals. Stock also does have a higher concentration of nutrients and also contains collagen, which is beneficial for the immune system." So, make and freeze the stuff, people!

So, how do you properly freeze stock so you get the most out of it? Don't just go dumping it into a container and tossing it into the freezer. Always line a container (make sure the container is freezer-proof) with a freezer bag before dumping in the liquid. You can now safely store it for up to three months. But, there's another little nifty stock-freezing trick, as well. You can pour a reduced pan of stock into ice cube trays so you have little handheld stock cubes that make handling it super convenient. You heard it here, folks. Stock up on the stock.