[Delicious frozen foods] How to use them in lunch boxes, dinners, and snacks

There are many high-quality and delicious frozen foods on the market. It is easy to use, so I think many people use it.

Frozen foods are especially useful when making bento boxes. It has the advantage of shortening cooking time and allowing you to use it without wasting it.

In addition, frozen foods can be used not only for lunch boxes but also for dinner side dishes and snacks.

In addition to introducing recommended frozen foods and points to consider when using them, we would like to introduce rapid freezing technology that is essential for producing delicious frozen foods.

Tips for using frozen foods for lunch boxes

The most common use of frozen foods is making bento boxes.

The benefits of using frozen foods include shorter cooking times, the ability to make a wide variety of foods, and the ability to use them without wasting them.

By using frozen foods wisely, you can make it easier to make bento boxes. Here are three tips for making bento boxes using frozen foods.

Tip 1: Use frozen vegetables to enhance the color

What you need to be careful about when making bento boxes is to make sure they are well-colored.

To add color, use colorful vegetables, and we recommend using frozen vegetables instead of just fresh ones.

For example, just defrost frozen broccoli and add one or two to it to make it much cleaner.

Also, adding seasoned foods such as frozen green beans, frozen spinach, or frozen corn, or a simple side dish of stir-fried mixed vegetables will not only improve the appearance but also improve the nutritional balance.

The price of raw vegetables changes depending on the season and can be expensive. However, the price of frozen vegetables does not change throughout the year, so you can use them with peace of mind and be kind to your wallet.

Tip 2: Use frozen foods to fill in the gaps

The problem with making bento boxes is that they leave a lot of space.

Basically, when packing side dishes into a lunch box, pack the main or large side dishes first, then pack the smaller side dishes.

As a result, gaps may inevitably form.

In such cases, flexible frozen foods come in handy. Meatballs and shumai can be used without losing their shape, so they are useful when you have a gap.

Tip 3: Use frozen foods that can be thawed naturally

Frozen foods that can be defrosted naturally can be taken out of the freezer and packed into bento boxes, saving you time and effort.

Compared to frozen foods that are heated and thawed, the combined thawing and cooling time can be reduced by approximately 25 minutes.

It will thaw in 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours at a room temperature of about 20 degrees Celsius, so if you pack it in the morning, it will be ready to eat by lunchtime.

Manufactured under strict quality control, so there are no hygiene concerns.
There are various types such as fried chicken, cutlet, shumai, hamburger steak, and fried white meat.

For a wide range of uses! Recommended delicious frozen foods

We sell a variety of frozen foods that are perfect for not only side dishes for bento boxes, but also for dinner side dishes, meals, and snacks.

Among them, I would like to introduce some recommended products that have a reputation for being delicious.

■White fish tartar sauce [Maruha Nichiro]

The white fish has tartar sauce inside, so you can eat it with its crispy texture. Although it is fried, it is refreshing and delicious.

■No water or oil! Gyoza [Ajinomoto]

This fried rice has a light texture and is loaded with ingredients such as grilled pork, eggs, and green onions. You can just heat it up and use it as a quick meal.

■Nissui 3 types of Japanese side dishes

Easy to defrost naturally. Just put it in your lunch box! Adding just one item will add color.

■Fried chicken [Nichirei]

It has a burnt soy sauce flavor, so it goes well with rice. It is fried and crispy and delicious.

■3 types of Chinese food [Nissui]

This is a product with a wide variety of Chinese side dishes, such as ``mabo eggplant'', ``chinjiao rousu'', and ``hoiko ro''.

■Delicious Okonomiyaki [Table Mark]

The fluffy dough is filled with plenty of cabbage and has lots of seafood toppings. The taste is comparable to the okonomiyaki at the restaurant.

■Spaghetti with cod and squid [Japan flour milling]

Once baked, the flavor is exquisite, and the pasta water adds just the right amount of texture. You can easily make authentic pasta.
　
There are many products on the market that are so delicious that you won't believe they are frozen foods.
However, no matter how delicious frozen food is, if it is not handled properly, the taste will deteriorate.

There are three points to keep in mind when using frozen foods, so please refer to them.

1. Choose items that are well preserved.

Basically, the quality of frozen foods is maintained by storing them at -18℃ or below. Products with frost on them may have deteriorated in quality because they have been repeatedly melted and frozen.

2. After purchasing, take it home with care so that it does not melt as much as possible.

If it melts, the quality will deteriorate, so we recommend using an ice pack.
Also, if you buy them in bulk, they will keep you cool, and if you put them in the middle of your shopping bag, they will keep you warm.

3. If you cannot use it up, store it in the freezer to avoid exposure to air as much as possible.

By closing the bag tightly with a rubber band to prevent air from entering, and placing it in a storage bag, you can use it without sacrificing quality.

What is the secret behind the deliciousness of frozen foods, “rapid freezing”?

There are a variety of frozen foods on the market, but did you know that there are some standards for manufacturing frozen foods?

■1. The ingredients must have been pre-processed.
For example, fish should be filleted and fried, or just fried.

■2.It must be properly packaged.
This is important to prevent contamination with foreign substances and drying out during the process from manufacturing to distribution.

■３.The temperature must be kept below -18℃.
Basically, food can be stored for one year at temperatures below -18℃ while preserving its quality.

■4, be rapid freezing
Since the quality deteriorates with normal freezing methods, it is necessary to rapid freezing.
　
In this way, frozen foods meet four conditions.

In order to produce frozen foods, it is necessary to rapid freezing, but what kind of freezing method is "rapid freezing"?

To put it simply, food quickly passes through the freezing temperature range and is cooled all at once. Freezing reduces the quality of food.

The reason for this is that when the water in the food freezes, ice crystals grow larger and destroy the cells within the food.

If food can quickly pass through the temperature range of -5°C to -1°C, where the water in the food freezes, it will be possible to suppress the growth of ice crystals and prevent cell destruction. As a result, it can be frozen without compromising quality.

rapid freezing allows you to preserve safety, taste, and nutritional value, so I would like to explain this with a specific example.

Can protect food safety

For example, when manufacturing frozen rice balls, cooked rice is shaped into rice balls, cooled to around 30℃, and then rapid freezing.

It can be frozen and stored in the freshness of freshly cooked food, and the center temperature drops to nearly -20°C all at once, which prevents the growth of bacteria.

​There are no concerns about quality or hygiene, so you can reduce the use of preservatives.

Can protect the taste of food

For example, when making frozen fried rice, freezing the rice causes the starch to age, resulting in a poor texture.

However, by quickly cooling the food to around -20℃, you can prevent aging and maintain its deliciousness.

Frozen pumpkins are also said to be more delicious than fresh pumpkins.
After pumpkins are harvested, the starch turns into sugar and ripens, so they will be sweeter if left to sit for a while than when they were just harvested.

Frozen pumpkins are fully ripened and in their most delicious state and rapid freezing.

Can protect nutritional value

Frozen vegetables are harvested in season and rapid freezing.
It is comparable to raw vegetables as it maintains its high nutritional value.

For example, edamame has higher nutritional value than frozen vegetables other than vitamins A and K.

In addition, there is data showing that frozen vegetables have higher nutritional values other than spinach, potassium, zinc, and vitamin K.

Conclusion

Frozen foods are delicious and easy to make, so they are used for a variety of purposes, including lunch boxes, dinner side dishes, simple meals, and snacks.

rapid freezing technology is what makes frozen foods so delicious.

rapid freezing allows us to produce frozen foods that are safe, secure, delicious, and highly nutritious.

As various frozen foods continue to be developed, this technology is likely to become more and more popular.

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