I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that we were testing out a new FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing system. In doing so, I was hoping that it would make for more home-cooked meals and fresh fruits and vegetables in our house. After using our FoodSaver during this time, I can attest that I am indeed cooking more often using fresh ingredients! It’s so much easier to have fresh vegetables already sealed in packs that I can just grab as I’m cooking.

Just last night, we enjoyed home-made mashed sweet potatoes and sauteed fresh green beans that I quickly cooked up after opening their sealed packs. All I did was seal peeled, cubed-sized chunks of sweet potatoes and the fresh green beans I bought at the store. You could do the same with plastic containers or bags, but sealing them helped keep them fresh longer. As I mentioned in my earlier post, vegetables tend to spoil if we don’t use them for a few days. So, we’re also saving money by vacuum sealing our food since we don’t end up throwing away as much as before.

Using the FoodSaver system actually got me thinking that I could easily cook a few meals over the weekend and divide them up into multiple portions that I can then seal and freeze for use on those really busy days when I have no time to cook. Or I could also divide the meals into individual portions and make our own version of frozen meals. My husband and I could definitely benefit from ready-made meals we can heat up for lunch and the fact that they’re home-made makes it that much better.

The FoodSaver system is pretty simple to use. If you have the pre-cut bags, you actually just have to insert your filled bag into the machine and it automatically starts the sealing process. In the video below, you can see where I used the FoodSaver vacuum sealer to seal some fresh vegetables. You’ll see that the process to seal one bag only takes about thirty seconds.

If you want to see how other bloggers use their FoodSaver systems and find out more information on vacuum sealing, check out the FoodSaver Facebook page.

Do you think a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing system would help your family save money or eat fresh food more often?

Disclosure: As a member of the Walmart Moms program, I was compensated for this post. As always, all opinions are my own.

Though we try to have a home-cooked meal on a daily basis, it gets hard to do this consistently with the busy lives we lead. Between taking the girl to school, picking her up, working at home with an infant running around, house management, daily errands, time for each other, and the seldom ‘me time‘, it’s a wonder we even have time to sit down and eat together as a family. Thankfully, that’s something we still manage to do regardless of the food we’re eating. But, I do wish I had more time to cook like I used to when we first got married so we could eat fresh meals more often.

Aside from the time issues, something else we struggle with is keeping fresh vegetables on-hand. It seems like I can only buy a few days’ worth at a time; otherwise they spoil if I go a few days without using them. The same can be said for fruits. But, who has time to go grocery shopping every other day? I most certainly don’t, nor would I want to!

One of the most popular tips for enjoying home-cooked meals throughout the week despite a busy schedule is to cook a few meals over the weekend you can freeze. The idea is that you can thaw your dinner and just reheat, which works great for those particularly busy nights. This is something I was able to do a couple times when I was working outside the home, and it actually did help.

I’m excited to share with you my experience in trying out the new FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing system! I was provided a FoodSaver unit through my participation in the Walmart Moms program in order to see how using such a system can save our family money. However, I also knew it would help with our challenges in eating home-cooked meals due to time constraints. After using our system, I’m going to share what worked for us and how it could help your family too. Look for another post in the coming days for more.

In the meantime, check out FoodSaver on Facebook and receive 10% off your purchase if you like their page!

How often do you enjoy a home-cooked meal? Do you run into any challenges that prevent you from doing so on a regular basis?

Disclosure: As a member of the Walmart Moms program, I was compensated for this post. As always, all opinions are my own.