Frozen Produce: A Budget-Friendly and Nutrient-Dense Option!

Fresh produce, when acquired in the right season and consumed soon after purchase, is a wonderful, nutrient-dense choice. But did you know that frozen produce is a wonderful, nutritious, and affordable alternative?

Do I usually buy fresh produce? Yes. That’s what I prefer, but I often have to remind myself to use it, or plan meals around it, before it goes bad! However, frozen vegetables are a wonderful alternative and I do use them as well.

Here are a few of the benefits of frozen produce:

Frozen produce is nutrient-dense.

Frozen fruits and vegetables are usually frozen at the peak of their ripeness. This is when produce has the most nutrients. When vegetables are frozen right after they are picked, the nutrients are locked in and preserved. This even happens when fresh produce is not in season in a region.

Also, if you buy a fresh version of a vegetable that is in season, but don’t consume it until it’s nearly beginning to wilt, it may not have the same nutritional value as its frozen counterpart.

Frozen produce is nearly as nutritious as fresh produce that is consumed right away and in season. However, there can be negligible differences. Some studies do show that are less nutrients in frozen produce, but the decrease is minimal.

Some studies even show that certain types of frozen produce may have more vitamin C, especially those that have been stored for several days.

Frozen produce is convenient.

Many of us are crunched for time, and after a long day at work, are often too exhausted to spend a lot of time and effort in the kitchen. This can lead to ordering take-out or reaching for ready-to-eat food, which may not be nutrient-dense. This is fine sometimes, but contributes too much sodium and extra calories if we eat these foods every day. However, making a dish with frozen vegetables can help save time, and help make an easy, nutrient-dense meal!

Frozen vegetables are pre-washed, chopped and ready to use. This saves us time and effort in meal preparation. We don’t need to peel, chop, and wash them. It’s easy to add them to other quick meals to make them more nutrient-dense. I love adding frozen broccoli to some of my Trader Joe’s frozen orange chicken and other quick meals, which, on their own, aren’t very nutrient-dense.

Frozen produce is blanched before freezing, which reduces browning. When they are flash-frozen at low temperatures, the water crystallizes, which prevents them from becoming soggy when we thaw them out. This doesn’t completely eliminate any damage to the original vegetable or fruit structure, but it greatly reduces it.

Frozen produce is available all year

Frozen fruits and vegetables can be stored for months without losing nutritional value or going bad. Again, this provides an easy supply of your favorite produce, even if they are not in season in your area!

Frozen vegetables are budget-friendly

Right now, many people are feeling sticker shock from the prices at the grocery store. The cost of many food items has gone up. This can leave less money for our favorite fresh produce. The cost of fresh fruits and vegetables has also increased, and even in normal times, these items can be expensive, especially when they are not in season.

Frozen vegetables, however, are usually less expensive. They can be a budget-friendly way to include a variety of colorful vegetables in your meals.

Frozen produce is versatile

Frozen vegetables are great to use in sautéed dishes, stir-fries, casseroles, and baked dishes. They can also be used as a base for soups. Frozen vegetables are an easy and convenient way to make a ready-to-eat or frozen entrée more nutrient-dense and flavorful. They are great to add to pizzas as well.

Frozen fruit is great for smoothies, and frozen vegetables are also an easy addition to them. I love adding frozen spinach to mine. It’s very mild and adds a real nutritious punch to a regular fruit smoothie.

An ideal way to cook frozen vegetables is either sautéing or stir-frying, or in the oven or on the grill. This will usually provide better results than steaming, boiling, or microwaving them.

Frozen produce makes less food waste!

How many times have you purchased some beautiful, delicious, nutrient-dense fresh produce from the store or farmers market, only to forget it is there and end up having to toss it because it has gone bad? Consider supplementing your fresh produce purchases with frozen produce from time to time.

Frozen produce has a longer shelf life compared to fresh produce, and reduces the risk of spoilage. It can also save you money and help the planet by reducing food waste!

What are your favorite recipes that incorporate frozen vegetables? Do you ever use frozen vegetables in fruit smoothies? Let me know in the comments.

References:

Rickman, J., Bruhn, C. & Barrett, D., (2007). Nutritional comparison of fresh, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables II. Vitamin A and carotenoids, vitamin E, minerals and fiber. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 87 (7). https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.2824