Do you think frozen veggies and fruits are less healthy than fresh? Research shows that it may be time to rethink frozen food.
Frozen food is your friend!
Unlike fresh produce, which is often picked before it is ripe and then loses nutrients as it is transported from far away then sits on the store shelf, frozen veggies and fruits are picked when they are ripe and immediately frozen. This naturally preserves the nutrients. Look for plain frozen veggies with nothing added. Avoid the veggies with sauce already added, it is better to make your own quick sauce at home. Fruits should be flash frozen and not packed in syrup. Look for frozen fruit that comes in bags and has no added ingredients.
Quick and Easy
You can use frozen veggies as a quick side with dinner. They can be perked up with the addition of lemon juice, herbs, toasted nuts, a small amount of butter or olive oil, cheese sauce, etc. Use frozen veggies in soups and chili, stir-fry and pasta dishes.
Smoothies
Try blending frozen fruit with milk, yogurt or juice and a little sweetener of your choice for a quick smoothie. Add frozen berries to oatmeal in the morning. Pack some frozen fruit for lunch and it should be thawed by the time to eat.
In addition to giving you more options and more nutrients when fresh produce is out of season, frozen foods are also less costly and require less prep time than their fresh counterparts. So until those luscious peaches and homegrown tomatoes are in season you may want to see what you can find in the frozen food aisle.
