muscle groups Why I defend frozen vegetables as quality nutrients By Kristen D Eramo, Wellness Coach 10/26/2017 I recently had a ‘food fight over frozen vegetables versus fresh vegetables prior to a communal dinner with my friends. Part of the fun was food shopping together, and everything was going great until I suggested frozen veggies might be a better choice than fresh for our stir fry. To my amazement and disappointment, my preference for frozen vegetables was met with slight ridicule and then dismissed. That day I backed off — but I was right, and here s why. When frozen beats fresh: Frozen fruits and veggies are often more natural. One key reason for this is that frozen food has usually been picked at peak ripeness, providing a greater nutritional content to the food. The so-called “fresh stuff is often picked when it is green so it can survive transport unbruised, and can ripen over time, sometimes by artificial means. Frozen vegetables are often more nutritious. The “fresh produce in the produce section may actually be fairly old. It s often picked weeks before you see it in the grocery store. And, believe it or not, some of it is months old apples can be a full year old. Those plastic bags of “fresh salad greens are a special concern. They contain gases to preserve the bright green color and crisp mouth-feel of the greens, which may be a couple of weeks old. “Old food simply has less nutritional value. By contrast, frozen produce is blanched to slow enzyme decay and reduce the loss of vitamins and minerals, then flash-frozen. Frozen can also be safer. Fresh produce can be a vehicle for live parasites, viruses and bacteria. Since frozen food, is often blanched before freezing and then frozen, it may be much less of a threat for pathogens or contamination. Frozen vegetables keep better at home. Most of us don t shop every day. Sure, we buy fresh food, but what happens to it once it gets home? At my house, plenty of “fresh produce gets ignored until it s about to rot — at which point I finally make something with it. Is that food really more nutritious than the bag of flash-frozen vegetables in my freezer? For these reasons and more, I think it s smart to always have frozen veggies on hand. Aside from stir fry, I use frozen produce in my smoothies, casseroles, and even in salads. For my favorite green smoothies, frozen fruit adds a great creamy texture and sweet taste. Here's a recipe to try: Spinach and pineapple smoothie Ingredients: 1 frozen bananas cup frozen pineapple (or mango) 2 handfuls fresh spinach cup milk preference (regular, almond, etc.) Agave or maple syrup, to taste (optional) Directions: In a blender, break up bananas into chunks for easier blending. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend. Add more liquid as needed, or until you have desired consistency. Enjoy! Don t miss our pumpkin pie protein smoothie recipe delicious any time of the year. seems
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