Foods Better Frozen Than Fresh

 

It may seem counterintuitive to use frozen ingredients instead of fresh. In fact, in some situations frozen can be better than the fresh alternative. This can be true for a number of reasons. 

There is essentially no nutritional difference between frozen and fresh fruits and vegetables, and frozen fruits/vegetables retain their nutritional value while fresh ones have decreased levels of nutrients after being stored for a few days.

Frozen foods will not spoil for months and with vegetables and fruits that are prewashed and cut, you can reduce your meal prep time and add more healthy foods to your meals.

Frozen foods are often less expensive than fresh ones, especially if you’re thinking about fresh organic foods. Frozen vegetables give you the option to pull some out only when you want them and then put them back until later. With fresh fruits and vegetables, you typically need to consume them all soon after purchase. So frozen reduces waste.

One study looking at the impact of fruit and vegetable storage options discovered that frozen fruits and vegetables can have more antioxidants than their refrigerator-stored counterparts. It turns out that freezing them preserves the antioxidants, and letting the fruit sit in a refrigerator causes some of that free radical fighting power to be leached away.

Finally, frozen can actually be "fresher than fresh". Modern ‘harvest-to-freeze’ technology has evolved so much that fresh fruits and vegetables are picked when they’re ripe, full of flavor and nutritional value, and then quickly frozen. Whereas the fruits and vegetables you buy in the grocery store that are purported to be fresh have actually been picked prematurely and spent days or even weeks in transit.

Here are five foods that you should consider buying frozen rather than fresh.

Shelled Peas.

Peas taste amazing in the spring, when they’re fresh and filled with nutrients, and not so great anytime after that. You can capture that healthy flavor all year long by cooking with frozen peas. As a bonus, they’re already shelled so they’re easier to cook with, too!

Berries.

When berries are in season, you should definitely seek them out at the farmers market. The rest of the year, choose frozen berries. They’re picked and packed at the peak of freshness, and they won’t lose their antioxidant-rich properties in the freezer either.

Spinach.

If you are making a salad by all means stick to the fresh stuff, but use frozen spinach for any cooked dish. Frozen spinach lasts longer and is typically less expensive than the fresh stuff. Plus, freezing spinach actually makes it more nutritious, increasing its concentration of thiamine and beta-carotene.

Corn.

(Yes, I know corn is a grain. Humor me.) Corn is not only expensive when it’s out-of-season, but it also doesn’t taste that great. Frozen corn, on the other hand, is packed at the peak of the season, so it’ll taste sweet and delicious any time of year.

Bell Peppers.

Bell peppers lose their nutrients super fast. In fact, the vitamin C found in peppers starts to oxidize as soon as the peppers are chopped! Freezing the peppers stops the process, preserving the nutrients more efficiently. Plus, you won’t have to worry about de-seeding the peppers if you buy them frozen.

If, like me, you get tired of throwing away produce that has gone bad while waiting for you to use it, frozen provides a healthy, convenient and less expensive alternative for you to try.