Frozen foods are often less expensive and keep longer than their fresh counterparts, but are they as healthy? Nutritionally, there is a lot of misunderstanding around the items stocked in the freezer aisle, so we thought we’d examine the cold truth (with a little help from the American Frozen Food Institute) and share these facts you may not know about frozen foods.
Frozen food can be healthier Frozen fruits and veggies can be just as nutritious as fresh because they are flash-frozen at their peak of ripeness, which locks all the nutrients in. Just make sure to check the ingredient list and make sure there is nothing added, like sugar or salt.
Frozen can be preservative free In fact, that’s the whole point of freezing foods—to preserve them without the need to add preservatives! Again, just check the ingredient list so you know exactly what the package includes.
Frozen can be less expensive Some people think that frozen food is pricier than fresh food, but that is not always the case. In fact, frozen fruits and vegetables are often dollars cheaper than the same fresh variety, especially when it’s not in season (i.e. berries in the winter).
Frozen foods can help prevent waste Feeling green? While it’s true that the packaging of some frozen foods makes them less environmentally friendly than fresh, since you can use a small amount of something frozen and put the rest back in the freezer or choose pre-portioned frozen meals, less food is thrown away due to spoilage. This helps to minimize overall waste.
Bags of berries? Boxes of peas? Which frozen foods do you stock up on?
