Frozen fruit

My freezer is never without a few bags of frozen fruit — I love all types, but you can usually find frozen berries, cherries, mangoes and pineapple, as well as mixed fruit or berry blends. The frozen guys are an affordable, tasty alternative to fresh—perfect for stocking up the freezer when you’re trying to stick to a tight budget or limit trips to the supermarket. I add frozen chunks to smoothies, yogurt, and oatmeal. I also use frozen berries to make this simple, delicious dessert: Sweetened Ricotta Cream with Berries. And a quick trick: I like to enjoy them frozen, straight out of the bag—they’re a quick and simple dessert, almost like healthy versions of Italian ices, with no added sugar.

Note: If I have over-ripe bananas, I’ll toss them (peeled, cut into chunks and sealed in small, plastic baggies) into the freezer for use in banana bread, muffins or pancakes/waffles. I love cutting down on waste—both food and financial.