Are Fruits and Veggies Healthier When Frozen?

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You may think that you are being healthy by choosing fresh fruits and vegetables over unhealthy foods, but you might have it all wrong. If you truly want healthy veggies then frozen may be what you want to buy.

A research study has revealed that frozen fruits and vegetables can include just as many vitamins as the fresh option. Another added bonus to buying frozen is that you can eat them year-round without worrying about spoilage.

“In terms of the ways humans have come up with preserving foods, freezing comes up at the top for preserving nutrients,” said study author Ali Bouzari. “If you can’t afford fresh or live in an area where a bodega down the street is all the access to products you can get, it’s important for people to know that frozen is a viable alternative.

Frozen fruits are “commercially picked” during peak ripeness and quickly frozen individually under a nitrogen atmosphere which helps preserve nutrients that oxygen degrades over time. Though veggies are picked at peak season, they are blanched before being frozen in 90 to 95-degree temperatures. This helps to destroy enzymes that cause discoloration, browning, and loss of flavor.

“When you compare fresh string beans in a store versus frozen, frozen will almost always be higher in nutrient content, because they were picked and processed at the highest point of quality and then frozen to preserve them,” said Mario G. Ferruzzi, a process in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences