Happy National Frozen Food Day!
March 6th is National Frozen Food Day!
Why Celebrate?
I think that almost everyone goes through a frozen food diet stage at least once in life. My most prominent frozen food era were my college years. As I browsed those frosty isles, my grocery cart would fill up with frozen bags of veggies, easy microwavable dinners, and a few packs of frozen chicken tenders. If I was feeling fancy, I might opt for some tater tots or curly fries… maybe even some popsicles for a special treat. My reliance on all things frozen were based on a few cold hard facts (no pun intended):
1. I was on a very tight budget. Let’s be real, I had no money to go out to eat at all, and it’s not like I could afford to cook any sort of mildly expensive meal.
2. Frozen food is easy to prepare. Mostly, you just need to be able to read how long it needs to cook for, and also how to use a microwave or oven. Not rocket science!
3. I was low on time. Frozen food takes little to no prep time, and unless you forget to set a timer, in a matter of minutes you should have something edible to consume.
4. Frozen food is preserved. The expiration date was of little concern and allowed less worry about spoiling food.
Frozen food is also fairly nostalgic. When I was young and required a babysitter, my parents would often leave something easy for the sitter to prepare for dinner. And for some reason, this was super exciting to my brother and I, because that meant TV dinners. You know, those Kid Cuisine dinners with that awesome little penguin on the front? If we’re being completely honest, they never tasted amazing. But for some reason the idea of getting our own little tray of a complete dinner, all our own, was more exciting than the “normal”, delicious meals my mom would prepare. Also, what kid doesn’t love those frozen Eggo waffles? Unless there is a food allergy involved, I’m fairly certain every single kid that ever lived gets out-of-their-mind excited about popping a few frozen waffles in the toaster. You’re basically making breakfast yourself. You know. Big kid stuff.
President Ronald Reagan proclaimed March 6th of each year to be “Frozen Food Day”, after Congress passed a resolution which proposed the idea in 1984. President Reagan stated that Americans should “observe such a day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.” But frozen food dates back much farther than that. Mr. Birdseye himself invented the concept of frozen foods back in the 1930s, and we Americans have been enjoying the convenience, as well as the health benefits, of frozen foods ever since.
How to Celebrate
Here are a few ideas of how to celebrate this awesome day in food history:
- Eat ice cream. But did you need an excuse?
- TV dinner throwback. Find something you wouldn’t normally buy to eat for dinner in the frozen food isle. Access your inner child and pick out what you would have wanted for dinner at 10.
- Watch this video. And let all the childhood memories come flooding in.
Quote of the Day
“One morning, as I went to the freezer door, I asked my wife, “What should I take out for dinner?” Without a moment’s hesitation, she replied, ‘Me.’” – Anonymous
Featured image via ShutterStock
