Many people ask me ‘Is Frozen veg good for you’?
They believe that fresh vegetables are much more nutrient-rich than frozen vegetables.
The problem is when fresh food and vegetables are available in the supermarket we never really know how fresh they are!
We can only really know we are getting 100% fresh vegetables if we pick them from our own allotment, which most people don’t have!
Fresh Vegetables Are Picked too Early!
Fresh vegetables are picked before they are ripe, which means they haven’t had time to develop their full range of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
To learn about the benefits of antioxidants please read my blog on the 5 Amazing Health Benefits of Papaya.
So Is Frozen Veg Good For You?
Well we are actually better off buying frozen vegetables. This is promoted by the British Heart Foundation.
Why Is Frozen Veg Good For You?
In contrast to fresh vegetables frozen vegetables are picked when they are ripe, meaning they have had a chance to develop their full range of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
They are then frozen, usually within a couple of hours.
This means the nutrients are ‘locked in’ and are not lost during the transportation process to the supermarket.
So the answer to ‘Is frozen veg good for you? is certainly ‘yes’!
Save Money!
Fresh vegetables are expensive in comparison to frozen vegetables.
Not only are they picked before they are ripe so that they don’t ‘spoil’ on the way to the supermarket, they lose further nutrients as they sit on the supermarket shelves.
Once purchased by the consumer, they then often sit at the person’s home in the fridge or cupboard losing further nutrients.
In the end when the vegetables are consumed, many are potentially quite devoid of nutrients! Therefore they cost you more but are less nutritious!
They also cause a lot of waste as they ‘spoil’ quite quickly unlike their frozen counterparts, meaning you waste more money when you end up binning them!
Is Frozen veg good for you?
They certainly are for both your body and bank balance and are a great nutritious way to eat well on a budget.
Frozen Vegetables Are Good For You!
People have a stigma about frozen vegetables because they aren’t “fresh” but as I’ve said freezing essentially hit’s the pause button on the degradation and nutrient loss of the product.
Buying frozen vegetables is both cheaper and also you will have more nutrient-rich food, therefore fresh is certainly not often the best!
Steam or Stir-Fry
The best way to cook your frozen vegetables is to steam them or lightly stir fry in coconut oil or butter as these are the best ways to retain their nutrients.
If you would like help with eating healthily on a budget please check-out my Nutrition Consultancy services.
