If you're trying to cut down on food waste, yet often have piles of limp and discoloured vegies in your fridge by the end of the week, it might be time to rethink your view of frozen veg.
There's a common belief fresh is best and buying frozen vegies is a cop out.
But certainly on the nutrition front, frozen veg aren't necessarily inferior, says Melanie McGrice, a spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia.
"Whether fresh is better [than frozen] depends on how fresh the vegies actually are," Ms McGrice said.
"Picking vegies from your own vegie garden out the back has to be the optimal situation. [But] in Australia, vegies often have to travel a very long distance to get to us. This can take several days.
"We know that the longer it takes to get fresh food to us from the farm, the more the nutrients [in the food] slowly decrease."
On the other hand, the nutrients in frozen produce are sealed into the veg during the freezing process.
"I'm not saying fresh fruit and veg is not a good choice. We are very privileged to have the variety of fruits and vegies that we grow in Australia. But frozen vegetables are certainly a valid option."
And if they last for weeks or more in your freezer, they can also save on food waste.
Sometimes however, there's a slight trade-off in the texture of frozen vegetables. But it's worth trying different varieties, because this is more of a problem with some vegies than others.
'Freezing in' nutrients
Vegetables are usually snap frozen very soon after they are picked. Special machinery is used to get the produce to -18 degrees Celcius in minutes.
The nutrients are 'frozen in' during this process, meaning you can quite easily have more vitamins in a frozen vegetable than in its 'fresh' counterpart.
What to put in your trolley?
If you are doing a weekly shop, consider buying some fresh vegies and some frozen.
"Start the week by eating the fresh vegies, and end it by eating the frozen".
Here are some points to consider when you're weighing up the pros and cons of fresh over frozen veg.
Fresh vegies
- Can taste better than frozen.
- Usually have a better texture.
- If you've picked them straight from the garden, they will be bursting with nutrients.
- But produce can be more than a week old by the time we eat it.
Frozen vegies
- Nutrients are 'frozen in' soon after picking.
- Convenience (can store for months)
- Allows us to have vegies and fruit that are out of season
- Adds variety to our diet.
- After defrosting, vegies can have a soggy texture, because ice crystals damage the vegetable cell walls.
