Do you need 30 minute meals? Make friends with your freezer and discover how.

We all need quick dinner recipes and 30 minute meals are at the top of the list. However, we also want nutritious, tasty, low-cal, low-carb meals...NOW! Does this sound familiar? And as much as we all love the idea of a homemade beef stew or a luscious homemade meatball recipe, more often than not, there just is not the time to produce that kind of food after we have rushed in from work, school or ferrying the kids.

Favorite Bread Pudding

• 3 cups soft bread crumbs
• 2 cups milk, scalded with 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg

Freeze breadcrumbs and egg whitesDouble up your recipesThe same applies to egg whites. They freeze very well for a couple of months. Put the leftover egg whites into a container and mark HOW MANY THERE ARE ie "3 egg whites." Next time you feel inspired to whip up meringues or need egg white for an icing recipe, all you have to do is defrost them on low in the microwave and you're set.Here's what you get from a serving (one recipe) of our Big Daddy's Fruit Freezer based on Health Canada's Recommended Daily Intake (RDI's) for nutrients.Organize your freezer labels, pens etcLeftover onions, green peppers can be chopped and sealed in zipper-top bags and kept in the freezer. It's economical and time-saving, too. Next time you need chopped onions, just pull a bag out of the freezer!Calcium 32 %/353 mg Folacin 19 %So, just as you take charge of certain areas of your life, take charge of your freezer! Producing easy healthy recipes will suddenly become a pleasure. With a little bit of thought and simple meal planning, you can save time, money and your sanity!Leftover bread can be used to make bread pudding. If your family doesn't eat the heels of a loaf of bread, keep a bag in the freezer and add the heels until you have enough.No, I have not lost the plot! If you have leftover breadcrumbs, simply pop them in a freezer container, mark them and freeze them. Next time you want to whizz up meatballs or crumb a piece of fish, the work has been done for you already.Energy 373 kcal, Carbohydrate 82 g, Protein 11 g, Fat 3 gBe sure to refrigerate leftovers promptly and use them within one or two days or freeze. If you have any doubt about whether a food is still safe to eat, throw it out!If you have leftover mashed potatoes, besides the obvious potato cakes, try this: Fry an egg and serve over a warm mound of mashed potatoes. Makes a different kind of supper.Delicious warm!A particularly helpful shelf in our freezer is the LUNCH BOX shelf. In this drawer there are all makings for healthy lunchboxes. There is leftover chicken, frozen in between layers of waxed paper. There are cooked burgers or ham. There are wraps, croissants, or muffins. This means that when we make lunchboxes at night it is easy for the whole family to get involved and hone in on the correct drawer. It seems to simplify things and is certainly cheaper than take-out food.

So, just as you take charge of certain areas of your life, take charge of your freezer! Producing easy healthy recipes will suddenly become a pleasure. With a little bit of thought and simple meal planning, you can save time, money and your sanity!

Author: Fiona Lesley