Pre-Cut Produce

Timesaver: Pre-Cut Produce Makes Meal Prep Easier

Prepping a meal is often the most labor intensive and time-consuming part of the process. When it comes to chopping there are tools and appliances that can make it easier, such as a mini food chopper and a garlic press, but it still requires some effort. And often those tools don’t do a great job or are a pain to clean. That’s where pre-cut produce is a huge advantage for a burnt out cook. I know that pre-cut is always more expensive than buying whole produce and cutting it up yourself, but it’s still less expensive than going out to eat. If the time and effort of cutting up lettuce, onions, garlic, cabbage, broccoli, etc. is going to keep you from cooking at home, buying pre-cut is the more economical choice.

My Favorite Pre-Cut Produce Solutions

Below are some of the pre-cut produce items I like to pick up when I’m doing my grocery shopping and keep on hand for a quick meal.

Salad Mixes

We eat some kind of packaged salad mix as a side dish for dinner or as a main component of lunch every single week. Besides all the vegetables being pre-chopped, they also include condiments and dressing. All you have to do is open the packages and toss them together. Examples of ways we use these are: A Mexican flavored salad on taco night, an Asian flavored salad with seared ahi tuna, Caesar salad mix with air fried frozen chicken chunks for a chicken Caesar salad.

Coleslaw Mix

Prepackaged coleslaw mix is the bomb! You can use it in almost any recipes that calls for cabbage. I use it in shrimp tacos, ramen salad, taco cabbage skillet, egg roll in a bowl, etc. It’s another solution where you can just open the package and dump it into the pan or bowl.

Trader Joe’s Mirepoix

I’m calling out Trader Joe’s specifically on this one because I’ve found their mirepoix to be the most reasonably priced anywhere. Mirepoix is the traditional mix of onions, carrots, and celery. They have it in the fresh produce section at Trader Joe’s and I always pick one up when I’m there. If I don’t use it right away I just throw it in the freezer. I use mirepoix most often for soups so it’s no problem at all to use it frozen. I just thaw it in the microwave long enough that I can break it up in the pot. No more chopping three different vegetables myself!

Frozen Chopped Onions

I just started using these in the last year. I can’t believe it took me this long to discover the convenience of these. I absolutely hate chopping onions more than anything else. I am highly susceptible to crying when cutting onions so my husband will do it when he’s helping but if I’m alone, it’s a total pain! Frozen onions to the rescue. Most of the dishes I used chopped onions for are soups or sautés so frozen onions work fine. They do give off some moisture and they will get really soft so you have to take into account the type of dish you’re making when you use them.

Frozen Crushed Herbs

I always have in my freezer packages of the frozen minced garlic and frozen minced ginger cubes. I know garlic isn’t technically an herb (it’s a vegetable) but since it’s often used like an herb or spice it makes sense in this section. These may be one of my absolute favorite timesavers. Unless fresh garlic or ginger is a focal point of your dish, these frozen crushed cubes are a super easy substitute when cooking. I use them in stir fry sauces, pasta sauces, soups, etc. I buy mine at Trader Joe’s, where they are very reasonably priced.

Fresh Cut Broccoli and Cauliflower

I haven’t bought a whole head of cauliflower or bunch of broccoli in years. I always buy the pre-cut packages. Sometimes you might have to cut a few of the bigger pieces in half once you have them in the pan but mostly these can be used as is. I use them in any recipe that calls for fresh broccoli or cauliflower including salads and stir-fries. We also like them grilled or cooked in the air fryer.

Do you have a favorite pre-cut vegetable? Let me know in the comments!