Fresh vs. Frozen: Debunking Myths About Fruits and Vegetables

 People tend to think of fresh fruits and vegetables as better than frozen. You might have heard before, fresh is best and frozen fruits/veggies are no good. " But, are we even sure of that? Well, that's exactly what we'll discover next!

Frozen fruits & vegetables myths

There are apparently people who think frozen fruits and vegetables lose their nutrients when they get frozen! This is not completely true. A small amount of some nutrients may be lost during freezing, though overall the nutritional quality of fresh and frozen fruits or vegetables are comparable. In reality, fresh produce can be picked when it is not yet ripe to avoid being smashed in the basket and then ripened artificially before sale. Preserving: this method is used to lock in many of the vitamins and minerals that fresh produce may lose as they are being shipped or stored over time. But good news, frozen fruits and vegetables can often be just as healthy!

Sometimes, believe it or not: the frozen products is even healthier than fresh! You may want to choose frozen over fresh due to the following points:

Frozen fruits and vegetables, when fresh is off season frozen can also be cheaper. If you want to save some money on your grocery bill while still eating healthy, then frozen produce can sometimes be the best thing next to fresh air at number 2 position.

So, this brings me to my next point about frozen veggies and fruits - they last forever! This would allow you to get them in bulk and have them ready whenever needed without worrying about spoilage.

Easy-to-use: frozen fruit is typically prep-washed and chopped, so it helps get more play out of your meals. You just take out however much you need and it is already fit for eating as-is, without any extra prep.

Frozen produce myths busted

Frozen fruits and vegetables have been considered by some as having poor taste or quality, compared to fresh ingredients. But that’s not true! 5 myths about frozen produce, debunked

Myth: frozen fruits or veggies are always bland.

Truth: frozen fruits and vegetables can taste good too if you cook them right. The meals would be tasty though if seasoned appropriately and cooked right.

Wrong: preservatives are always added to frozen produce.

2 - fact: the majority of frozen fruits and veggies are not packaged with anything but the fruit or veggie being frozen. The vegetables are washed and flash-frozen to maintain their integrity.

False: common myth (frozen produce is so boring)

Fun fact: there is a frozen equivalent for nearly every fruit and vegetable, so you literally have tons of options to choose from! The frozen section has berries, peas, mixed vegetables.... You name it.

How to use vegetable fresh & frozen

Well, then what the hell do you go with – fresh or frozen? Each one is great and you should look into incorporating them both in your meals! So, we have a few ways to get the most of both.

Fresh in season: do best to buy as fresh produce when it's the season of that fruit or veg. You can also freeze some of yourselves for laying it later. That means even when the season changes you still get to taste fresh fruits and vegetables.

Stock up on frozen foods: if you need to buy produce that is out of season (or crazy expensive) then stock up the frozen stuff! Even better, this way you always have healthful choices around when the opportunity for feasting seems a long way off.

Cooking tips - for the best results, do not overcook frozen produce as most have been blanched or steamed prior to freezing. When you do, the pasta can get mushy and lose its perfect texture. In this instance, it usually takes a quick cook and you are off to the races.

Change in cooking time: than one rice to hot meal with frozen vegetables and adjust the cooking time. If you happen to also have some frozen veggies, they might take an extra minute or two to heat through than the sausages so simply keep an eye on them.

Conclusion

Which is better — fresh or frozen? But it really does not have a simple answer and depends on what you want/need. While fresh produce has its advantages, frozen fruits and frozen vegetables are nutrient-rich-and often just as tasty as the day they were picked (and sometimes more cost-effective). This is why i suggest using both of them, to take advantage of what they offer. So, you can ensure that your diet has plenty of fruits and vegetables, which are vital for health!