How healthy are frozen vegetables?
How do frozen vegetables stack against fresh vegetables?
Should we have some in the freezer just in case… or can we eat them instead of
fresh vegetables?
Frozen vegetables are a smart addition to a healthy diet and
can be used regularly. Many people think frozen vegetables have lost some of
their nutritional benefits during the freezing process, but this is not the
case. Most vegetables are dipped in boiling water to remove dirt and germs;
this also helps to maintain the nutritional quality. After blanching, the
vegetables are snap frozen which locks in the nutrients. In general, the
fresher the vegetables, the healthier they are. If you are eating freshly picked
produce then this will be better than frozen vegetables, but most of the
vegetables in the supermarket have been in cold storage for weeks, if not
months, and during this time the quality has slowly declined with a greater
loss of nutrients compare to frozen vegetables.
Frozen vegetables have a much longer shelf life. Think of
how often you find a mouldy cucumber in the bottom of your fridge or a bag of
carrots that have gone soft or a soggy tomato in the crisper.
As well as providing year-round access to vegetables, the
frozen varieties are often much cheaper and offer the convenience of ready to
cook varieties.
Are there any downsides to only buying frozen vegetables?
Just a few. The first is the limited number of vegetables that are available.
You will struggle to have enough diversity if you only eat frozen, so it is
best to eat fresh too. The other downside is the texture. Frozen vegetables can
be a bit mushy and you will not get the nice crisp or crunchy texture. Finally,
keep an eye on the ingredients list and avoid those with added salt, butter or
sugar.