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There’s no denying the convenience of frozen vegetables. There’s no washing, chopping or peeling involved and they can be added to dishes straight from the freezer without needing defrosting. But are we missing out on nutrients when we use them in our cooking? Most experts agree that frozen vegetables are good for you, but a surprising fact is that sometimes they can be even more nutritious than fresh vegetables.

Experts agreed

As long ago as 1998 the US Food and Drug Administration found that frozen fruit and vegetables can be just as good for you as fresh produce. The UK Department of Health agrees, having recently added frozen vegetables to their Healthy Start scheme, which provides vouchers that can be exchanged for milk, fruit and vegetables to low-income families.

Frozen is fresher

Frozen vegetables may be healthier than their fresh counterparts. Vegetables are frozen at their peak, when they are most rich in nutrients. While blanching vegetables before freezing destroys certain nutrients like B vitamins and vitamin C, once they are frozen nutrients are locked in.

Fresh produce that is shipped to supermarkets is picked before ripening, meaning it’s not as rich in vitamins as it could be. Fresh vegetables are also exposed to air, heat and light as they make their way to supermarket shelves, meaning the loss of even more nutrients.

Fresh vegetables lose as much as 45 per cent of their nutrients by the time they make it into our kitchens.

‘Fresh’ isn’t better

Researcher Charlotte Harden told the Mail Online that ‘We must disregard the mistaken view that “fresh” food is always better for us than frozen food.’

Fresh items can be over 16 days old by the time they are eaten. Nutritionist Dr Sarah Schenker says ‘by the time [fresh produce] ends up on our plate, we may think we’re reaping the vegetable’s full nutritional benefits, this is often not the case.’

Tags: eating healthily, vegetables