Buy Frozen Vegetables

Frozen vegetables, however, are plucked from the farm at their prime, blanched, then flash-frozen. Many experts agree that most frozen produce has just as many or possibly more vitamins and minerals as fresh, especially when you factor in how long your fresh veggies live in your fridge. It really comes down to how you want to prepare them.

buy frozen vegetables

How Can Frozen Be Better Than Fresh?It's easy to jump to the conclusion that fresh vegetables are the gold standard. We were all brought up on images of farm-fresh vegetables plucked from the fields and rushed to the table and that is the gold standard. But the fact is, most fresh vegetables sold in the foodservice are picked unripe so that they can survive shipping, and truly fresh locally grown produce, aside from being expensive, is subject to seasonal ups and downs in both availability and quality.

In fact, with today's growing, harvesting and freezing technologies, in many cases it's virtually impossible to distinguish fresh from high-quality frozen on the plate. Anyone who has compared the flavor of well prepared frozen corn kernels to fresh corn grown out of season knows that the frozen product will often have better flavor and texture.

There's a reason 96% of table service operators and 100% of quick-service operators in a recent National Restaurant Association survey said they use frozen food. Simply put, frozen vegetables offer not only consistent quality but also outstanding operational advantages over fresh.

It's All About How You Use ThemAs a chef, I know that there's a time and place for both fresh and frozen vegetables on the menu. And the key to tapping into the profit potential of frozen is knowing how and when to use both separately or together.

Whether you run a small operation or a major foodservice institution, frozen vegetables and potatoes can be an invaluable asset a great way to help enhance profitability for you and ensure a consistent, high-quality dining experience for your customers. And after all, if that guy at table 8 eats all his vegetables, that's a really healthy sign for your business.

The time-saving benefits of canned and frozen vegetables are fairly obvious. Both options provide pre-chopped veggies, meaning little-to-no prep work. Canned veggies are even pre-cooked, meaning they just need to be warmed prior to serving.

"The high heat used before the can is sealed can damage some water-soluble vitamins, including vitamins B and C," adds Willingham. "However, common cooking methods, such as steaming, baking and boiling, have the same effect on vegetables as well."

If there's salt added, avoid adding any additional salt to your dish. If there's excess salt, drain the can of any liquid and rinse the vegetables with plenty of water before adding them to your dish.

What's more is that the freezing process is very favorable toward vegetables, with nutrients, vitamins and minerals all being well-retained. In fact, frozen veggies may actually be more nutritious than fresh ones, in some cases.

"Freezing is like nature's pause button. Since frozen veggies are flash-frozen at the peak of their nutrient density, they can actually have higher nutrient profiles than fresh veggies that have sat around in the grocery store for a while," adds Willingham. "And keeping a few bags of frozen veggies in your freezer is a great way to have whole vegetables on hand without having to worry about cooking them before they go bad."

At the end of every summer season, do you find yourself mourning the loss of your favorite fresh fruits and veggies? It might be time to hit the freezer aisle, because when it comes to frozen versus fresh vegetables, both are winners.

One study examined the vitamin content of eight different fresh and frozen vegetables and fruits: blueberries, broccoli, carrots, corn, green beans, peas, spinach and strawberry nutrition. Overall, there was no difference between frozen and fresh items. At times, the frozen even had more nutrients. (1)

Sneak it into other meals. The beauty of having frozen vegetables and fruits on hand is that you never have to run out. Use frozen berries or spinach in your favorite healthy smoothie recipes, top your favorite dip with vegetables or add some frozen fruit to yogurt.

Root vegetables like carrots tend to keep for a long time, so eating them before they start to spoil is less of a challenge than it might be for other vegetables. But if you find carrots kind of a pain to chop, good news: frozen carrots will save you some time and are widely applicable.

Soups, stews, pot pies and even carrot cake can all be pulled off with frozen carrots. You might even be able to find them pre-shredded, in case a recipe calls for that. But for any dish that requires raw carrots, you really ought to use fresh.

One recent study compared fresh and frozen produce and the experts found no real differences in nutrient content.Li Linshan, et al. (2017). Selected nutrient analyses of fresh, fresh-stored, and frozen fruits and vegetables DOI: 10.1016/j.jfca.2017.02.002 In fact, the study showed that fresh produce scored worse than frozen after 5 days in the fridge.

To add to the confusion, slight differences in nutrients may depend on the type of produce you buy. In another recent study, fresh peas had more riboflavin than frozen ones, but frozen broccoli had more of this B vitamin than fresh ones.

Researchers also found that frozen corn, blueberries, and green beans all had more vitamin C than their fresh equivalents.Bouzari A, et al. (2015). Vitamin retention in eight fruits and vegetables: a comparison of refrigerated and frozen storage. DOI: 10.1021/jf5058793

For others, like potatoes and peas, boiling is the ideal way to keep folate levels high.Fabbri ADT, et al. (2016). A review of the impact of preparation and cooking on the nutritional quality of vegetables and legumes. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijgfs.2015.11.001

The following WIC foods must also comply with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Standards of Identity: infant formula, exempt infant formula, milks, cheese, fruit and vegetable juices, shell eggs, canned/frozen fruits and vegetables, whole wheat bread, canned fish, and peanut butter. Standards of identity define what a given food product is, its name, and the ingredients that must be used, or may be used in the manufacture of the food. To view the Standards of Identity for these foods, visit the FDA web site at

^ Note: States must offer WIC-eligible fresh fruits and vegetables (including white potatoes) AND must allow organic forms of these items; canned, frozen, and/or dried fruits and vegetables are offered at the state agency's option.

When it comes to vegetables, we often hear that fresher is better. It'd be nice to have fresh vegetables all the time but sometimes it just isn't possible, especially as students. Fresh vegetables can cost more than canned or frozen vegetables and expire much quicker. So when comparing frozen vs canned vegetables, which is better? To answer this question, we need to break down the pros and cons of each.

Frozen vegetables tend to be flash frozen right when they are harvested, giving them a few advantages over fresh vegetables. Being frozen at their peak means that they remain in the state where the nutrient content is the highest. Fresh vegetables often need to be shipped in from different locations (often from far away) after harvest, which can compromise the vitamin and mineral content of the veggies. The dietary fiber content of frozen vegetables also remains similar to fresh vegetables, very little of it is lost during the freezing process.

While the nutrient content of frozen vegetables remains mainly intact, some water-soluble vitamins such as Vitamin C or Vitamin B can leach out in the blanching process. Frozen vegetables are usually blanched before they're frozen to kill bacteria and denature enzymes that may cause the food to go bad.

Another way in which frozen vegetables are prevented from expiring may include the use of preservatives. These preservatives may include sodium or an artificial preservative. Having an excessive amount of sodium or preservatives in your diet can be harmful to your health. Avoid extra sodium and preservatives by reading the ingredients list on your frozen veggies.

The biggest advantages of canned vegetables are the convenience, price, and long shelf life that they have. Canned vegetables can remain in your pantry for over a year, allowing you to stock up when they go on sale and use them whenever you want. Similar to frozen vegetables, canned vegetables are also harvested and preserved at their peak, allowing for optimal nutrition. This means having canned over fresh vegetables doesn't have to mean sacrificing any nutrients.

Some phytochemicals in vegetables are even enhanced by the canning process, which means you get more of them than you would have with fresh vegetables. This includes beta-carotene, which can be found in pumpkin and carrots, as well as lycopene, which can be found in tomatoes. These vegetables are ones we would be better off purchasing canned over frozen.

Canned vegetables don't always taste as good as their fresh counterparts, which can deter some people from purchasing them. Canned vegetables can also contain high amounts of sodium and sugar in order to help keep them preserved.

Based on the advantages and disadvantages of frozen vs canned vegetables, frozen vegetables seem like the better choice. They're most similar to fresh vegetables in terms of taste and texture, and there are fewer cons associated with them. Just make sure you purchase vegetables that doesn't add any sodium or preservatives.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and conventional wisdom traditionally has been that fresh is best. But recommendations are changing as more studies show there is no significant nutritional difference between fresh and frozen. Here are five reasons why you may want to stock up on healthy treats while in the frozen food aisle. 041b061a72