Registered Dietitian Back-to-School Toolkit
Welcome to NFRA’s RD Toolkit! This content has been crafted exclusively for our partner RDs to help share the benefits of frozen and refrigerated foods for the back-to-school season.
As an all-industry trade association, the National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) represents manufacturers, sales agents, retailers, distributors, logistics providers, and suppliers. Headquartered in Harrisburg, PA, NFRA sponsors national promotions, including National Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month, and ReDiscover Frozen & Dairy, and leads consumer PR campaigns such as Real Food. Frozen. and Dairy…and Beyond. NFRA also hosts the annual Executive Conference and NFRA Convention. Committed to promoting frozen and refrigerated food sales and consumption, NFRA fulfills its mission through education, training, research, and industry collaboration.
NFRA is dedicated to supporting retail dietitians by providing consumer insights, category resources, and product information to educate shoppers on the benefits of frozen and refrigerated foods. Through regular updates on nutrition, convenience, and innovation, NFRA empowers dietitians to make informed recommendations, helping consumers choose nutritious, high-quality options while assisting retailers in meeting evolving shopper needs. NFRA offers a range of educational resources, including toolkits, infographics, and shopper data, reinforcing the connection between food accessibility, nutrition, and consumer decision-making in today’s dynamic grocery landscape. Additionally, through its consumer-facing Easy Home Meals website, NFRA offers valuable shopper resources such as, RDN-approved health-focused recipes, meal inspirations, and cooking and storage tips.
Artwork
Download and utilize the below high resolution logos in your consumer communications.
Infographics
Download and utilize these infographics in your consumer communications. NFRA has free, printed handouts available as well – contact [email protected] to request yours!
Consumer Research Insights
How Consumers Shop the Frozen & Refrigerated Dairy Aisles
NFRA’s recent online survey1 for March Frozen Food Month highlights the advantages of frozen foods, including convenience and inspiration, with nearly all respondents (99%) finding inspiration for dinner in the frozen aisle, while an overwhelming 83% agree that frozen food makes meal planning easier. Almost two-thirds of adults (64%), also say frozen foods have budget-friendly benefits that help them combat rising grocery costs, making them a valuable tool for cost-conscious consumers. Parents find frozen food to be an especially valuable tool for navigating both meal planning and rising grocery costs. A significant portion (76%) of parents surveyed agree that frozen food helps them stretch their budgets. In addition, 81% of adults say that having their favorite foods in the freezer keeps them from ordering out more often.
A 2024 study from the International Food Information Council (IFIC), IFIC Spotlight Survey: Americans’ Perceptions & Priorities on Healthy Eating2, reports that Americans see food as much more than nutrition. Sixty-two percent view food as “fuel,” 60% as “delicious,” and 56% as “health,” while emotional connections run deep—with 37% calling food “love” and 32% saying it brings “joy.” Still, nearly three-quarters of Americans agree that “food is medicine,” reinforcing the idea that our plates can be as much about wellbeing as they are about taste and flavor.
Recent research indicates that consumers are increasingly turning to frozen and refrigerated dairy products to create convenient, affordable, and healthy family meals. A study3 by the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) reveals that 66% of Americans utilize pre-portioned ingredients from these aisles to support their health objectives, while 75% appreciate the cost savings these products offer.
An NFRA study that looked closely at the evolution in consumer shopping behaviors and purchase motivators revealed that when shopping in-store, nearly half (48%) of consumers navigate directly to familiar sections, with 46% browsing aisles for inspiration. Additionally, over half (52%) of consumers explore new recipes to add variety, often finding inspiration from online recipe websites (42%) and social media platforms (40%) with an expressed consumer interest in grocery stores enhancing meal inspiration with sections featuring ready-to-eat ideas (71%) and themed recipe displays (62%).
Approximately 78% of U.S. adults consume two or more snacks daily5, and snacking is nearly universal among U.S. children and adolescents, with 93% reporting at least one snack on a given day6. These findings highlight the substantial role that snacking plays in the diets of both adults and children in the U.S., emphasizing the importance of considering snack quality and nutritional content in daily dietary habits.
- 88% of parents say frozen food makes it easier to meal plan.
Source: NFRA Frozen Food Month Top Stats, 2024
- 71% of parents say frozen options help them prepare a nourishing breakfast.
Source: NFRA Frozen Food Month Top Stats, 2024 - 52% of parents reorganize their fridge or freezer during seasonal reset periods like January — a behavior that likely applies to BTS as well.
Source: ReDiscover 2025 Top Stats - 40% stock up on after-school snacks and 42% search for time-saving meal/snack options during those resets.
Source: ReDiscover 2025 Top Stats
- 77% of parents say pre-portioned ingredients help them manage their health goals.
Source: ReDiscover 2025 Top Stats - 50% of parents have secretly swapped pudding packs for yogurt to encourage healthier snacking.
Source: ReDiscover 2025 Top Stats - 67% of consumers want better ingredient organization by meal type (e.g., breakfast, lunch, snacks) in grocery stores.
Source: NFRA Consumer Insights Analysis Executive Summary – Jan. 2025 - 71% say ready-to-eat or quick prep sections would be helpful for meal inspiration.
Source: NFRA Consumer Insights Analysis Executive Summary – Jan. 2025 - 62% respond positively to seasonal or themed recipe ideas in-store.
Source: NFRA Consumer Insights Analysis Executive Summary – Jan. 2025
8 Healthy Reasons for Adding Refrigerated Dairy Foods to Your Cart
Dairy products like milk and many milk alternatives, provide calcium, protein, and vitamin D, supporting bone health, muscle function and overall health and well-being.
Nutrients like vitamin A, zinc, and probiotics found in some dairy strengthen the immune system.
High-protein dairy foods like Greek yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese promote satiety and help control appetite.
Low-fat dairy options support heart health by providing potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure.
Fermented dairy products like yogurt and kefir contain probiotics that improve digestion and gut microbiome balance.
Dairy offers high-quality protein at a low cost.
Dairy products can be used in a variety of meals and recipes, maximizing value.
Keeping dairy staples like milk, cheese, and yogurt at home makes cooking easier and more affordable than take out meals.
Retail Activation Idea #1
Energizing and Wholesome Breakfast Ideas to Kick-Start the Day
Although consumers recognize the importance of a nutritious breakfast, time constraints and perceived inconvenience often stand in the way. By leveraging the educational activation ideas below, you can highlight how frozen and refrigerated dairy products offer convenient, nutrient-rich solutions to help simplify morning meals.
- Rise & Shine: Breakfast Essentials Checklist: As your shoppers are thinking about their child’s school supply shopping list, provide them with a back-to-school “Rise & Shine Breakfast Essential Shopping List.” To take it a step further, include a week of quick assembly breakfast meals utilizing products from the list. For instance:
- Frozen Waffles + Frozen Berries + Low Fat Milk
- Greek Yogurt + Granola + Frozen Mixed Fruit
- Multigrain English Muffin + Peanut Butter + Orange Juice
- Breakfast Burrito – Scrambled Eggs + Shredded Cheese + Salsa + Plain Greek Yogurt
- Smart Start Bites Media Pitch: During the back-to-school season, media outlets are often seeking experts to help consumers simplify their routines and make this busy time of year both easy and healthy. Pitch a media segment on “Smart Start Bites” featuring the “Rise & Shine Breakfast Checklist,” offering tips on how to stock your kitchen with the essentials needed to create quick, affordable, and nutritious breakfast meals for hectic school mornings. Highlight how to incorporate these pantry and fridge staples into simple, nourishing breakfast ideas.
- Social Media Posts: Create a series of social posts entitled, “Start Your Day the Smoothie Way.” Include several ideas for using frozen and refrigerated dairy products in quick and nourishing smoothie recipes and incorporate the Smoothie Recipe Formulations infographic. This infographic could also be enlarged and used as signage by the frozen fruit or in the refrigerated dairy case.
- Video Content: Despite the higher cost of eggs lately, eggs remain one of the most versatile and nutrient-rich foods available, and they remain a breakfast staple. In an online cooking class video, provide some tips on getting an “Egg-cellent Start to the Day” by sharing quick family-friendly egg recipe ideas and a link to the Simple Frittata Recipe Formulations infographic – In your video include key talking points on how eggs provide “eggs-cellent” nutrition for the money – high quality protein, vitamins/minerals and choline to support brain health.
- Ecommerce Breakfast Bundles: Make breakfast solutions easy to find for your online shoppers by creating a curated bundle of frozen and refrigerated dairy products to create quick, healthful morning meals.
- Fabulous Frozen Finds for a Fast & Nourishing Breakfast – fruit, waffles/pancakes, muffins, egg sandwiches/burritos, smoothie mixes, etc.
- Breakfast in a Dash with Refrigerated Dairy Department – milk/milk alternatives, yogurt, kefir, cheese, eggs, bagels, English muffins, juice, etc.
Retail Activation Idea #2
Tasty, Budget-Friendly & Balanced – Meals to Fuel Busy Families
As families increasingly appreciate the health benefits of shared meals, they look for budget-friendly options that are convenient, nutritious, and appealing to kids. Inspire them by incorporating frozen and refrigerated dairy products into your recipe and menu planning efforts. These versatile ingredients simplify meal prep, offering quick and stress-free dinner solutions. Highlighting new products, time-saving recipes, and affordable family meal “formulations” can help educate and engage shoppers—especially during the busy back-to-school season and Family Meals Month in September. Consider these ideas to drive purchases in the frozen and refrigerated dairy departments.
• Simple, Savory and One Pan Easy: Sheet Pan Dinners for the Win! – Pitch your local media outlets on a segment featuring how to create easy sheet pan dinners featuring favorite frozen and refrigerated foods. Include basic guideline for success, found on the NFRA Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe Formulations infographic and showcase a couple of easy recipes such as the Maple Salmon with Sweet Potatoes & Broccoli. This content could also be made into an online cooking class for your customers.
• In-Store Inspiration: Add a sign to the frozen food case to call out simple meal “formulations” so shoppers leave the store with all the products needed for simple suppers. Examples include:
- Frozen Lasagna + Green Beans + Garlic Bread
- Frozen Vegetable/Rice Stir Fry + Shimp + Pineapple
- Frozen Cheese Pizza + Top with Frozen Vegetables + Fruit Bars
• Fast and Flavorful Meal Starters: Develop a week-long series of social media posts or consumer e-blasts showing how different frozen and/or dairy foods can be used to build convenient, tasty family meals to provide needed nutrients for active families. Share links to recipe ideas. Versatile meal starter products can include:
- Frozen Meatballs – Skewed Meatballs and Veggies; Meatball Sub and Mixed Vegetables
- Frozen Tortellini – Spinach Tortellini Soup or Skillet Meal with Vegetables
- Eggs – Mediterranean-Style Frittata; Asparagus Parmesan Egg Bites
- Ricotta Cheese – Stuffed Shells; Easy Lasagna
• Turn Your Freezer into a Meal Solution Station: Create a blog post showing shopping how to easily create a meal solution station in their freezer by stocking up on tasty frozen family meals and nutrient-rich frozen ingredients. Share 15-minute meal ideas such as:
- Shrimp Veggie Stir-Fry with Brown Rice: Combine a package of frozen rice, or cauliflower rice, a bag of seasoned stir-fry blend vegetables and frozen shrimp. Serve with thawed frozen pineapple chunks.
- Tortellini Bake: Cook a package of frozen tortellini as directed, drain, and return to pot. Stir in 1 jar of pasta sauce and ¾ cup parmesan cheese. Pour mixture into a greased baking dish and top with 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400°F until bubbly. Serve with cooked frozen green beans.
View the blog here for a turn-key blog post or to use content as inspiration for our own blog.
• Promote Easy Meal Bundles on Ecommerce: Combine frozen and refrigerated dairy products into quick meal bundles for busy weekdays. Examples can include simple soups; sheet pan dinners; and frozen meal starters. Add QR codes to the Soup Formulations; Sheet Pan Dinner Formulation; and Easy Meal Starters infographics. See QR code for all infographics in resource section.
Retail Activation Idea #3: Power Packed Snacking Solutions
In the frozen and refrigerated dairy aisles shoppers will find delicious, healthy snack options for afterschool, sports practices, and more. These foods are not only convenient, but offer many single-serve, kid-friendly options. Adding frozen and refrigerated dairy products to snack time is a delicious way to curb cravings while delivering essential nutrients to boost energy and keep hunger at bay.
• Snacking On the Go: With busy schedules full of work, school, sports, and social activities, fall is a season on the move! Help consumers make the most of their snacks by choosing nutrient-rich frozen foods and dairy products—delicious options that provide lasting energy and important nutrition on the go. Create a series of social media posts and/or customer eblasts to promote how frozen and dairy foods are the perfect snacking solution. For instance:
- Fast Fuel for Your Fast Paced Life: Need a quick, nutritious bite? Toss some cheese sticks & frozen berries into your bag for a protein-rich, power-packed snack. Simple, tasty, and satisfying!
- Stay Cool & Healthy! Blend frozen fruit and milk (or milk alternative), for a creamy, nutrient-packed smoothie in seconds. Deliciously easy for busy mornings or to refuel after sports practice.
- Stock Up, Snack Smart: When you’re on the run, snacks need to be handy and healthy. Stock up on individual cheese sticks, yogurt and cottage cheese cups, kefir, frozen yogurt or fruit bars so they’re ready to grab, when you’re ready to go!
• Kid’s Cooking Class: Title your class “Snack Attack: Making Fun & Energizing Recipes” Talk about how choosing the right snacks can help support learning and sports performance and what to look for in a better-for-you snack. Provide the participants with their own mini cookbook with a variety of easy-to-assemble snack recipes and prepare 3 to 4 recipes in class for taste testing. Search for recipe ideas at EasyHomeMeals.com, or find some tasty options under the “Fast Fuel Snack Hacks” in this toolkit.
• 1:1 Consultations – Protein & Nutrient Packed Snacks Ideas: For those clients taking GLP-1 medications, a reduced appetite and slower digestion has them seeking snack and small meal ideas that provide adequate protein, fiber, healthy fats, and key nutrients to maintain overall health during weight loss. Suggest healthy snack options such as:
- Greek yogurt and kefir
- Cottage or ricotta cheese with fruit and nuts
- Frozen berries
- Protein-rich smoothie with milk, or milk alternative and frozen fruit/veggies
- Edamame
- Cheese sticks or cubes with whole grain crackers
E-commerce Smart Snack Shopping Checklist
On the ad page for frozen and/or dairy foods, create a curated bundle of products to call out those items that would be perfect for quick and healthy snacking.
Frozen Department:
Berries
Mango
Edamame
Yogurt and Fruit Bars
Roasted Chicken Strips
Smoothie Blends
Fruit/Veggie Muffins
Dairy Department:
Cheese Sticks and Cubes
Yogurt Cups and Tubes
Kefir
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Cottage Cheese + Fruit Cups
Smoothie Blends
Rise & Shine Breakfast Shopping Checklist
- Frozen Berries & Fruit Blends – for smoothies, parfaits, and oatmeal
- Frozen Spinach or Kale –for adding to breakfast smoothies or scrambled eggs
- Frozen Waffles or Pancakes – easy base for breakfast topped with yogurt, fruit
- Frozen Breakfast Sandwiches – for a quick grab-and-go option
- Greek Yogurt – perfect for smoothies, parfaits, or as a base for a breakfast bowl
- Milk or Plant-Based Alternative – use in smoothies, oatmeal, or as a drink
- Cottage Cheese – a protein-rich option for bowls or as a topping for fruit
- Eggs – versatile for scrambling, making omelets, or adding to breakfast burritos
- Shredded or Sliced Cheese – add to breakfast wraps, quesadillas, or scrambled eggs
- Cream Cheese or Ricotta Cheese – spread on bagels, toast, or mixed into oatmeal
- Add in vendor partner products
Fast Fuel Snack Hacks
Create a blog post outlining the benefits of consuming nourishing snacks and how they can help improve overall diet quality. For example, nutrient rich foods such as dairy, fruits and veggies can help both adults and kids meet recommended intakes of key nutrients and food group servings. Share some quick-to-assemble snack ideas such as:
- 16 oz. low fat cottage cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons everything bagel seasoning
Directions: Process cottage cheese and 1 t. seasoning in a food processor until smooth. Place dip in serving bowl. Top with olive oil and remaining seasoning. Serve with fresh veggies and bagel chips.
- 3 cups frozen blueberries and/or strawberries
- 3 cups low fat vanilla yogurt
Directions: Spoon ½ cup of berries and ½ cup yogurt into 10-12 oz. paper cups. Stir each cup with a plastic spoon and leave a spoon in each cup. freeze until firm. Peel off outer cup before serving.
- 3 oz. orange juice concentrate, thawed
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 3-4 frozen strawberries
Directions: Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. If desired add 1-2 teaspoons of honey. Makes 1 to 2 servings.
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon honey
Directions: Mix all ingredients until smooth and serve with fresh apple and banana slices.
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries
- 1 cup frozen peaches
- 1 cup peach low fat kefir
Directions: Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth and serve.
Registered Dietitian-Approved Recipes
Explore RD-approved recipes on EasyHomeMeals.com. Share high resolution images on your social posts and communications
RD Digest Newsletter
This quarterly newsletter sent to NFRA’s RD contact list provides valuable research and statistics, insights into action, registered dietitian-approved recipes, resources, and more.
