Is frozen fresh?

There is no debating that a diet including fruit and vegetables is beneficial for us. Fruits and vegetables are packed with nutrients inclduding vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants.

At this time of year fresh fruit and vegetables are abundant, and cheap. But what about when they are not affordable? Not in season? Or not available? Is frozen, fresh?

Fresh items are perceived as the healthiest options, however, frozen and even some canned products may contain similar or sometimes higher levels of nutrients, depending on the vegetable or fruit.

I use a lot of frozen vegetables particularly for the kids. They love peas, so that is a staple. But I always have this underlying feeling that I am cheating a bit, well actually a lot. I find I have to re-assure myself that frozen vegetables are okay. And sometimes, they are even better than some "fresh" stuff on the supermarket shelf.

Frozen items are often picked at the height of ripeness and "flash" frozen. This helps preserve most of their nutrients. This means that they can endure transportation better than their fresh counterparts, which are often picked before they are ripe and then loose nutritious content during transportation.

Frozen and canned items provide a cheaper alternative to fresh items. Tins of tomatoes can be less than $1 where fresh ones can cost four times more. Frozen vegetables retail for approximately $3-5.

I have reconciled myself to the idea that I reckon that its better to have some frozen veg on your plate, rather than no veg at all.

Mummy to three small boys