The Advantages of Frozen Produce
Fresh produce is often considered the gold standard in terms of nutrition and flavor, but frozen produce has many advantages that are often overlooked. Frozen fruits and vegetables are an affordable and convenient way to incorporate more nutritious options into your diet, regardless of the season. They also offer several unique benefits, including extended shelf life, reduced food waste, and consistent quality.
Frozen vs Fresh – It’s winter and many summer fruits and vegetables are only available frozen. Many people ask me if frozen produce is just as good and the answer is, YES!!!
Although some nutrients are lost when cooking, most of the nutrients, if not more are retained when freezing fruit. Yes – you read that correctly; some frozen fruits (and vegetables) may have a better nutritional profile since fresh fruits and vegetables are usually picked before they are ripe.
Frozen fruits and vegetables are blanched (quickly sterilized in boiling water) and immediately frozen to preserve all the wonderful nutrients.
Although there is nothing like the taste and texture of fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen can easily be added to soups, smoothies, and baked goods without most people noticing the difference.
Another advantage of frozen fruits and vegetables is that they tend to be cheaper than fresh. I am all about fresh fruits and vegetables but to try to cut costs, I usually add frozen to my soups and smoothies.
Do you ever buy frozen fruits and vegetables?
I love buying frozen vegetables for cooking and frozen fruit for smoothies since I don’t have to wash and cut them! It definitely saves me a lot of time in the kitchen!
References & Resources
https://oshercenter.org/2020/05/19/fresh-vs-frozen-produce-which-is-healthier/
