March not only marks National Frozen Foods Month, but more important, National Nutrition Month. What better time than now to explore new ways to use the healthy, convenient foods found in the freezer aisle at the supermarket?

 First step: Be freezer-meal savvy

•Plan ahead. Mix a variety of flavors, textures, colors and food groups to keep meals interesting and provide a wide range of nutrients.

•Keep MyPlate in mind when stocking your freezer. Fruits, vegetables and proteins are all easy to store frozen.

•Stock your cupboards with staples such as spices, oil and whole grains like brown rice or quinoa to simplify meal preparation.

•Don’t get stuck in a rut. Pair quick and easy items like your favorite frozen vegetable blend with less common proteins like meat substitutes, legumes or seafood kabobs.

 Second step: What’s in a dietitian’s freezer?

Fruits and Vegetables: You would be hard pressed to find a dietitian with no produce in the freezer. As I take customers through supermarket tours, I focus a lot on produce and how half of your plate at each meal is to be fruits and vegetables. And there are no excuses for not having half the plate if you have produce available in the freezer.

There are many varieties available in the frozen fruit and vegetable sections that do not contain added ingredients.

In my freezer, I always have frozen peaches, mango, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and mixed berries on hand. This allows me to easily whip up smoothies for breakfast or dinner, incorporate fruit into a last-minute salad, top my oatmeal or my yogurt, or make into a sauce for pancakes or salsa for seafood.

Not only are frozen berries, cherries and tropical fruits just as nutritious as fresh, they’re often less expensive.

When selecting frozen vegetables, must-haves are broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, carrots, peas, edamame, mixed bell peppers and onions to incorporate into soups or stir-fries, even frozen spinach for incorporating into lasagna.

Protein: Take a walk through the freezer aisles and you will see a plethora of proteins. One protein that is necessary to have in the freezer to help you achieve the recommendation of eating it twice weekly is seafood. You can find salmon burgers, tilapia fillets, wild-caught salmon fillets, mahi mahi, shrimp and much more. Having seafood on hand allows you to have a meal ready in minutes.

Starches: It’s easy to get whole grains at each meal when you have them available in the freezer. Whole grain bread, whole grain English muffins, brown rice that has been cooked and divided into smaller portions and Kashi Whole Grain Waffles are just a few favorites.

Third step: Store it correctly

While freezing food keeps food safe almost indefinitely, it is quality that will suffer over time. For your ultimate shelf life guide, check out the educational website www.stilltasty.com or download the app on your IPhone.

 Breakfast from the Freezer

Serves 4

 All you need

2 cups Hy-Vee frozen blueberries

2 tbsp honey

8 Morning Star Farms Breakfast Sausage Links

8 Kashi whole grain frozen toaster waffles

All you do

1. Place blueberries in a medium saucepan over medium heat until blueberries are thawed and beginning to break apart.

2. Reduce heat to low, add honey and lightly press blueberries with a large spoon to break them apart. Keep sauce on low heat until ready to serve.

3. Prepare sausage links and waffles according to package directions.

4. Top waffles with blueberry sauce just before serving.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 330 calories, 9g fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 620mg sodium, 50g carbohydrate, 9g fiber, 19g sugar, 15g protein

Daily Values: 2% vitamin A, 4% vitamin C, 15% calcium, 30% iron