Ask Keri: If I buy my fruits and vegetables frozen, will they be as nutritious as if I buy them fresh?
Keri Says: Yes ! Frozen fruits and vegetables actually contain the same nutrients as their fresh counterparts. sometimes, they ’ re even more alimentary .
Of course, there are many ( delectable ) reasons to eat fresh spinach, broccoli, and berries, besides. here ’ s what you need to know.
The Research
Most studies that have been done to determine whether fresh or fixed produce is more alimentary come to one termination : It ’ s a wash. sometimes freeze is a small more nutrient-dense than fresh, sometimes vice-versa, but the differences vary and are small adequate to be negligible .
And when you think about what affects alimentary capacity, it makes sense. Let ’ s take broccoli as an model. When and where the broccoli is grown, harvested, and sold will affect the vitamins and minerals you end up biting into. If it ’ south grown in rich, goodly territory, it will contain more nutrients than broccoli grown in consume territory. But that ’ s a hard variable to control for as a consumer. If you buy it the day the farmer harvested it, it will contain more nutrients than broccoli that ’ s been traveling to the grocery shop for days ( or weeks ), since nutrients degrade. But if it ’ sulfur harvested fresh and frozen right away, those initial nutrients will be sealed in and won ’ thyroxine degrade .
sol if you have entree to a farmers ’ market, broccoli is in season, and you ’ re making stir-fry that night, fresh will be the way to go. But if you ’ re at the grocery store and want to get some broccoli to serve your kids for dinner for the next couple of weeks, freeze might be better .
At the end of the day, you can ’ thyroxine spend your valuable time stressing over the fact that there ’ south credibly slenderly more vitamin b2 in freeze broccoli but there ’ s slightly more vitamin b2 in fresh peas. If you ’ rhenium feed grow at every meal, you ’ re already doing it right. good subcontract !
RELATED: What Are Antioxidants, and Why Are They Important?
Other Reasons to Choose Frozen Vs. Fresh
early things to consider when you ’ re contemplating which veggies to reach for ?
If you like to shop far ahead and breed improving on things, frozen is a better option. The nutrients will stay sealed in and you can keep stuff in the deep-freeze for a long time before they go bad. If you ’ ra buying things that are super out of season, freeze is besides credibly better. ( Think about it : if you live in New York and are buying strawberries in January, they ’ rhenium traveling a loooong way to get to you, losing nutrients along the room. )
RELATED: The 7 Healthiest Frozen Foods at Trader Joe’s
But while freeze grow is great for things like smoothies or to throw in a stir fry, if you ’ re doing some serious cook, it normally doesn ’ triiodothyronine measure up in terms of spirit and satisfaction .
Who doesn ’ metric ton want to make salads with farm-fresh hot rocket or bite into a tart, crisp apple that was barely picked from a tree ? In terms of enjoying your food, fresh about constantly wins in my book .
My overall advice ? Have a hoard of freeze, nutrient-dense produce in the deep-freeze for when you need it and then by local, seasonal fresh produce each week ( or when you can ) for maximal nutrients and delectability .
( Photos : Shutterstock )
- interested in joining our health community and becoming a alimentary Life Master Certified Nutrition and Wellness Coach ? Enter your information, get free access now to a sample class, and one of our coaches will get in touch with you !
Read more: Book Summary: Mind Really Own Business
- Name
*
First
Last
- Email
*
- Phone
*
- Email This battlefield is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged .
Δ
Read more: Simple Secrets To Weight Loss
By : alimentary biography Editors
55