Finding the time to make diabetes-friendly meals can be challenging. One way to make it easier to eat healthier options is to use healthy freezer meals. There are plenty of ways to get started with freezer meals for diabetics. 

Freezer meals for diabetics help greatly with diabetes management through healthy and delicious meal planning. Freezer meals are an offshoot of meal prep.

The idea is to make a large recipe and then freeze the leftovers to reheat later when we get too busy to cook a full meal from scratch. It’s like creating your own batch of frozen dinners.

People often use freezer meals to help with weight loss or healthy nutritional diet plans. They serve as a great way to eat more low carb options and give us a healthy choice for dinner when we’re short on time.

We are familiar with the idea of leftovers in the fridge. But the American Diabetes Association says, “Leftovers will keep in your refrigerator for a few days.

For many dishes, freezing them can extend the shelf-life for up to three months.” You could always head to the grocery store and buy already frozen dinners.

But those may not be as healthy as the delicious meals you can cook at home. Instead of filling your grocery list with frozen dinners, just fill it with ingredients for your favorite healthy meals that fit into your meal plans.

Of course, not every recipe you come across will freeze well, and avoiding freezer burn will require you to keep track of what’s in the freezer and for how long. But we can take baby steps with this process.

Start with one or two freezer meals for diabetics that sound enticing to you, and slowly get familiar with the meal planning process. You can add new meals to your plan as you go.

Eventually, you will be a freezer meal pro, making healthy recipes that even the American Heart Association will love. No more using busy weeknights as an excuse to eat unhealthily and raise your blood sugar levels.

Besides baby steps, there are a few other tips you can use to get the results you need, whether these meals are for you or the whole family.

Slow-Cooker Chicken & White Bean Stew | Eating Well

Easy and Healthy Chicken Fajitas | 30 Days of Recipes

Freezer to Slow Cooker Thai Pineapple Curry | The Family Freezer

Salsa Chicken | Favorite Freezer Foods

Spaghetti Squash Meatball Casserole | Taste of Home

Freezer Meals for Diabetics

Many of these recipes will have everything you need to get started with a healthier meal plan. However, there is nothing wrong with freestyling here and there.

For that, we turn to the “Creat-Your-Plate” method from the American Diabetes Association. The diabetes plate method means monitoring what is on your plate for your meals.

The goal is to have non-starchy vegetables, proteins, carbohydrates, and water or a zero-calorie drink. So, what does one of these plates look like?

Well, you could go with a chicken breast, a side salad with kale, and some black beans with a glass of water. Of course, you won’t need a freezer for the salad or beans.

But you can make the chicken breast ahead of time and freeze them for later. Use these recipes to help you get more familiar with frozen meal options and how to get them done.

You will learn how to mix and match things so that you can freestyle your own freezer meals in the best ways that work for you. Individual portions will also be important for longevity.

Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Stew | Sweet Peas and Saffron

Barbecued Pork Tenderloin | Mayo Clinic

Sloppy Janes | CANR

Classic Chicken Cacciatore | Danny’s Dleight

Pork Stir Fry | All Recipes

Meal Planning for Diabetics

There is a saying that was once popular when it came to serving sizes, “don’t let your eyes be bigger than your stomach.” Essentially, serving ourselves based on what we think we can eat is never a good idea.

Nutritious meals are not just about the nutrition information of the ingredients we use but how much we eat. Freezer meals can be handy meals so long as we separate them into portion sizes that fit our needs before we put them in the freezer.

We can do this with the freezer-safe container we use. Use smaller, single-serving containers instead of getting one big container for these easy meals.

These small changes will make it easier, convenient options ready to go when needed. We also want to make sure that we stick with healthy ingredients in the kitchen.

We often find ourselves craving something after we’ve been home for a while and already had a quick meal. But the idea of going back out to get what we need for those cravings is a great way to avoid feeding them.

Stock your kitchen with healthier options like brown rice instead of white rice, ditch the ice cream, fill the freezer with lean meats, and maybe use chicken broth more often instead of water.

Tasty meals don’t need to be difficult; they just need to be readily available.

Coconut Chicken Soup | Diabetes Strong

Grilled Chicken Kebabas with Pistachio Gremolata | Hello Glow

Low-Carb General Tso’s Chicken | Diabetes Strong

Steak and Cheese Bowl | Easy Healthy Living

Pulled Buffalo Chicken | My Every Day Table

Diabetic Routines

humans are creatures of habit. We love a good routine, especially if it fits our desires and lifestyle. Of course, not many of us are hankering for a green salad every night.

But we do want a great meal that we consider to be an easy dinner. We can create a habit that is healthy by sticking to a meal routine. Stick to a regular eating schedule as much as possible.

Eventually, it will become second nature. The schedule will help us avoid overeating later, which can spike blood sugar levels. But we can also use great recipes to stick to a healthier meal plan.

For example, we want two high-protein meals with a lean protein source. We can also add high-fiber snacks to keep blood sugar levels where we want them. 

Vegetable Chickpea Curry | Weight Watchers

Instant Pot Chipotle Chili | My Food Story

Turkey Tortilla Soup | Simply Recipes

Slow Cooker Vegetable Minestrone Soup | Eating Well

Soothing Chicken Noodle Soup | Healthy Food

More Tips for Diabetics

Low Sugar Snacks for a Low Carb Diet (Diabetes Friendly Too!) | Snacking is an important part of life. We just need to do it right.

Nutrisystem Diabetic Meal Plan Tips and Tricks | Nutrisystem could be a good way for diabetics to manage weight loss.

Low Carb Meals for Diabetics | Keto Meals that Reduce Blood Sugar | Eating low carb isn’t difficult. But add diabetes into the mix, and you may have a challenge on your hands.

Are Keto Recipes Good for Diabetics? | Keto diets are great for losing weight. But are they great for blood sugar levels?

Best Protein Powder for Diabetics – What to Look For | Diabetes doesn’t mean you can’t have protein shakes.