#Myth: Fresh Is Better Than Frozen

It’s no surprise to us that eating fresh fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of important nutrients to help nourish our growing and aging bodies. But how does frozen produce compare? Does freezing contribute to lowering its nutritional value?

Answer: eating frozen fruits & vegetables can be just as good as eating fresh ones!

In fact, eating & cooking with frozen produce might actually be even MORE nutritious than fresh depending on the circumstances! In reality, it all comes down to 2 things:

Science and processing.

1. Science

Fruits and vegetables hit their nutritional peak once they have fully ripened, otherwise meaning that they will have reached their maximum vitamin & mineral content. As such,

• An underripe fruit or vegetable contains less vitamins & minerals than a ripe one. 

• A ripe fruit or vegetable is just right. 

• An overripe fruit or vegetable will undergo a process called “oxidation”, which would contribute to diminishing its nutritional value.

2. Processing

a) Fresh produce

FRESH produce are often harvested when they are underripe in order to avoid spoilage during their transport from the farm to the grocery store. This is why your bananas can sometimes be green when you first purchase them!

So…

→ Remember to let your fresh fruit & vegetables ripen before consuming them!

b) Frozen produce

FROZEN fruits & vegetables are harvested and then frozen at their peak ripeness. This step will immediately lock in their nutritional value ─ making them nutritious and ready-to-eat! They are also pre-washed and don’t normally require any preservatives.

So…

→ Try to avoid frozen produce with added sugar!

→ Choose the option that suits your lifestyle best, and always try to buy local!

What are your favourite ways to eat fruit and veggies?

Source(s):

[1] Li, Linshan, et al. “Selected nutrient analyses of fresh, fresh-Stored, and frozen fruits and vegetables.” Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, vol. 59, 2017, pp. 8–17., doi:10.1016/j.jfca.2017.02.002

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