This blog post is written by dietetic intern, Madeline Lowney.
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I used to completely overlook frozen produce. That changed when I started working at a strawberry company, and, suddenly, had more strawberries than I could ever eat and a dilemma:
WHAT TO DO WITH THEM ALL?
Besides giving them away to everyone and anyone, my solution was to freeze them.
That led me to endless experimentation with frozen fruits&#;jams, salad dressings, smoothies, and everything in-between&#;and a new appreciation for frozen fruits and vegetables.
THERE ARE SO MANY REASONS TO LOVE FROZEN FRUIT AND VEGGIES.
It&#;s a common misconception that frozen produce is inferior to fresh fruit and vegetables.
In reality, frozen fruit and veggies are just as amazing as fresh fruits and vegetables, and have some unique benefits.
There is no &#;best&#; fruit or vegetable for health (check out my post on this here), because each fruit and vegetable brings its own set of nutritional benefits: antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Eating a variety of fruit and vegetables allows you to consume a balanced diet, without stressing about the exact fruit or vegetables you&#;re choosing at every single meal.
This is where frozen fruit and vegetables come in. You can easily toss in a handful of blueberries in your yogurt or add some frozen broccoli to a stir fry to increase variety in your meals.
Most produce isn&#;t grown locally year-round. This means that fresh varieties will be transported from other regions post-harvest, or simply unavailable, and cost more due to both low supply, and transportation costs. Plus, taste and nutrition often decline when produce is transported this way.
When frozen, you get much more diversity. Local and seasonal produce is grown when local climate permits, then frozen at peak freshness to be used all year round.
Consider blueberries: Maine wild blueberries can be grown in the late summer, then frozen to be enjoyed all year round. On the flip side, fresh blueberries are found in New England only in late summer (that is why most berries sold fresh come transported from California, Mexico, or Florida during colder months &#; and will often be more expensive to be transported from farther away!).
Frozen fruit and veggies can even streamline meal prep. They offer pre-sliced and/or trimmed options that are ready to toss into your stir fry, smoothie, pasta, or ice cream bowl&#;no dirtying a cutting board, peeling, or rinsing required!
Instead of wasting time de-stemming and chopping kale, frozen kale comes pre-chopped and ready to go. How&#;s that for easy?!
Plus, frozen produce is typically cheaper than fresh &#; meaning that while pre-chopped, fresh kale may be more expensive, pre-chopped frozen kale is still a relatively cheaper option.
Try adding frozen spinach to a smoothie &#; you can even prep smoothie ingredients ahead of time and store them in your freezer when ready to blend.
Or, add pre-cut veggie blends to pasta, stir fries or even canned soups for fast, filling meals.
Who&#;s been there: you buy a carton of $10 strawberries that looked amazing at the store, but after a few days, they start going bad before you&#;ve even had a chance to eat them. Aaaaand there goes $10.
Buying frozen produce is a great way to avoid this dilemma. The freezing process &#;freezes&#; the ripening process, preventing them from degrading over time. Frozen fruit and vegetables can last for months in your freezer.
Multiple studies on food waste have shown significantly less food waste when frozen fruits and vegetables are purchased (vs. their conventional counterparts), as reported by a Cornell review.
This helps farmers, too, as they&#;re able to freeze surplus from large harvests. To understand this concept, I reference back to my home garden&#;s massive peach tree, which produced dozens of peaches that were all ripe at the same time. Instead of attempting to all of those peaches in one week, my family slices and freezes them to enjoy year-round. Food waste &#; eliminated.
Lastly, frozen fruit and vegetables are cost saving due to their lower prices, as well! Prices for out of season fruit &#; like strawberries in the winter &#; can often nearly double vs. seasonal pricing.
This means that the most affordable ways to eat produce are to 1) buy frozen, 2) buy seasonally, or 3) buy seasonally and freeze for later use.
From a nutrition standpoint, frozen fruit or vegetables are comparable to conventional counterparts. Freezing prevents the degradation of vitamin C, folate, and antioxidants like beta-carotene and flavonoids. This means you get fruit and vegetables with the same (and sometimes greater, depending on storage time) nutrient benefits as fresh.
Plus, freezing is one of the few preservation methods that does not involve the addition of salt or sugar, or the removal of water, (like canning, pickling, and drying), meaning that it doesn&#;t alter the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables, either.
When fruit and vegetables are frozen, the water contained within their plant cells crystallizes as ice, breaking their cell walls. This changes the texture of frozen produce, but doesn&#;t affect its flavor, freshness or nutrient profile.
Not only are frozen fruit and vegetables just as nutritious as fresh, but often, they taste better and retain more nutrients too.
Instead of buying out of season blueberries in the winter &#; that won&#;t taste as great and will lose some of their nutrients during transport from where they&#;re grown and in season &#; frozen blueberries are picked and preserved right at their peak. This means they taste just as good and offer the same nutrients as fresh, in-season blueberries.
There are so many different things you can make with frozen fruit and veg.
Instead of adding ice to a smoothie, adding frozen fruit results in a refreshingly-cold smoothie that is easy to blend and comes out super thick. Or, try neutral-tasting frozen veg like kale, spinach, cauliflower and zucchini. They help to make smoothies thick, but you can&#;t taste them once blended.
And did you know: the lower the water content of your fruit, the more creamy it will be when it freezes. This means that fruit like bananas, coconut, and mangos &#; which are less than 80% water &#; will be much smoother and creamier in smoothies than hydrating fruits like watermelon or citrus.
Additionally, because water from frozen fruit can escape the fruit&#;s cell walls, frozen fruit adds a great juiciness to baked goods and sauces. Use it to add flavor your a bowl of cereal, a yogurt parfait, or even in banana bread.
And lastly, while simply microwaving frozen veg often results in a mushy texture, don&#;t give up on frozen veg just yet. Try drizzling your frozen veggies with olive and sautéing or roasting them. They end up just as crispy as fresh!
You can use a frozen pea and carrot blend in fried rice, or quickly whip up a batch of roasted frozen broccoli to pair with any meal.
Frozen fruit and vegetables are a great option. They&#;re less expensive, longer lasting, and they often have as many nutrients and as much flavor as fresh.
For more information, please visit Fortune Foods.
Don&#;t let unnecessary fear mongering make you feel like you only have to buy fresh produce. Frozen is a great option too.
Written by Dietetic Intern, Madeline Lowney
Madeline is a dietetic intern and nutrition and dietetics graduate student at New York University, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and dietetics from New York University.
Although originally from Massachusetts, she has experience at Manhattan michelin-bib farm-to-table restaurant abcV, and New Jersey-based Oishii Japanese berry vertical farm. Her down-to-earth upbringing emphasizing gardening, alongside her fascination with biochemistry, inspired her passion to use evidence-based nutrition to promote physical and mental health.
Outside of nutrition, she loves to hike, spend time with her dogs (a cockapoo and rescue golden-retriever-mix).
Without a doubt, a diet rich in plant-based foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, forms the cornerstone of any healthy eating pattern. Fruits and vegetables are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber, making them the ultimate low-energy, nutrient-dense foods. However, fruits and veggies can be finicky. Many of the most scrumptious plants reach their peak ripeness only once a year, and for a limited time window. Also, once these fruits and vegetables are picked, they often don't last long, expiring quickly in supermarkets or in our kitchens. To overcome these challenges, various storage methods of produce were developed to extend their shelf life and preserve their freshness. Naturally, we wonder how the way we store these fruits and vegetables&#;whether we toss them in the fridge or freezer&#;affects their nutritional value. In the following post, we explore the different ways food storage can potentially impact the nutritional content of these valuable dietary components and how (perhaps if) this has any significant impact for us!
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
We are all familiar with fresh fruits and vegetables. They&#;re often the first food to greet us when we walk into any grocery store; their vibrant colors and inviting textures make them the epitome of nutrition. Fresh fruits and vegetables are typically harvested either at peak ripeness or just before for those that ripen off the vine and develop their tastiest flavors after a few days. At this stage, produce is at peak nutrient density. Packed with flavor, ripe produce proudly touts their vitamin, mineral, fiber, and water content with their lurid hues and mouth-watering texture. However, it is important to consider that many fruits and vegetables found in grocery stores undergo significant transportation from the farm to the store which can invariably lead to certain chemical changes. Additionally, any physical processing, packaging, and treatments can further modulate not only the nutritional value but also the flavor and texturet. &#;&#;Since fruits and vegetables contain a high percentage of water (ranging from approximately 70% to 90%), transportation can trigger respiration, moisture loss, and nutrient degradation (Barrett, n.d.). It's worth noting that different types of fruits and vegetables exhibit varying levels of nutrient degradation; for example, strawberries tend to spoil faster than sweet potatoes. Moreover, certain minerals and vitamins (like water-soluble vitamins) are highly sensitive to post-harvest losses, such as vitamin C and the B vitamins (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, n.d.). When purchasing fresh produce, your best bet is to purchase from a reputable seller who is directly responsible for growing, harvesting, and transportation. As always, your local farmers market is a great place to start!
Refrigerated Fruits and Vegetables
Refrigerators serve a crucial role in slowing down microbial spoilage and prolonging the shelf life of numerous food products. When we place fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator or freezer, we effectively reduce the time that produce spends in the "temperature danger zone" where bacteria thrive; this significantly reduces water loss and mitigates microbial spoilage. Several studies have examined the impact of refrigeration on the nutritional composition of fruits and vegetables, revealing that this effect varies depending on the specific produce (Galani et al., ). For instance, refrigerating carrots can actually increase their beta-carotene content, while in the case of green beans, it can lead to a 10% decrease in beta-carotene levels (Barrett, n.d., ). These findings highlight the importance of understanding how refrigeration can simultaneously enhance and diminish certain nutritive compounds in each individual fruit or vegetable. Our overall takeaway: Refrigeration is a great option to extend shelf life, preserve freshness, and any losses in nutrient content are (generally) negligible!
Frozen Fruits and Vegetables
Frozen fruits and vegetables are typically harvested at their peak ripeness and then undergo a blanching process, which involves briefly boiling to minimize nutrient loss. Similar to refrigeration, freezing fruits and vegetables significantly extends their shelf life, while also preserving their original flavors. The convenience of frozen produce cannot be overstated, as it is often pre-processed (peeled, sliced, and ready to cook) and can be a lifesaver in a time crunch. As a bonus, frozen produce is often cheaper too! Moreover, purchasing frozen fruits and vegetables in bulk, storing them, and resealing as needed can contribute to reducing food waste. However, freezing produce can alter the nutritional content. Water-soluble vitamins, like vitamin C and B may leach during the initial blanching process. Additionally, storing produce in the freezer for too long may cause freezer burn during which cell walls rupture. This cellular lysing ultimately leads to unappetizing changes in texture, color, and flavor. However, when stored properly, frozen produce is a wonderfully cost-effective way to consume fruits and veggies year round. Interestingly, new research is showing that while freezing produce may result in some nutrient loss, it also may boost some nutritive compounds!
Comparing Fresh vs. Refrigerated vs. Frozen Fruits and Vegetables
In a comprehensive 2-year-long study, researchers investigated the nutrient levels in fresh, frozen, and "fresh-stored" fruits and vegetables (Li et al., ). The team analyzed the impact of different storage methods on the levels of folate, trans-β-carotene (a form of vitamin A), and L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in broccoli, cauliflower, corn, green beans, green peas, spinach, blueberries, and strawberries. Surprisingly, the study revealed that for the most part, the different storage methods had no significant differences in nutrient levels. While each fruit or vegetable responded uniquely to the different storage methods, the authors concluded that these differences were marginal (Li et al., ). Similarly, another study compared the levels of ascorbic acid, riboflavin, α-tocopherol, and β-carotene in corn, carrots, broccoli, spinach, peas, green beans, strawberries, and blueberries when refrigerated versus frozen. This study yielded similar findings, indicating that frozen foods often had comparable, and occasionally higher, vitamin content than fresh produce for the majority of vitamins analyzed (Bouzari et al., ). Granted, these studies explored both different fruits and veggies and vitamins but the greater conclusion remains: everything can impact the nutritional value of produce. And this begs the question: for the average consumer, does it really matter?
The Big Takeaway
Certainly, these studies highlight storage methods that directly influence vitamin and mineral content. Almost everything we do with food can affect nutrient levels, cooking itself can both amplify and reduce vitamin quality. This leaves us at an impasse where, regardless of how we consume or cook, some nutrient loss is inevitable. But we&#;d argue that, for most of us without nutrient deficiencies, the importance of maximizing nutrient content through storage (or cooking) becomes secondary to consuming a diverse array of fruits and vegetables. Our focus should shift away from fixating on whether fresh or frozen or refrigerated &#;is better&#; and instead promote flexibility both in the grocery store and the kitchen. We must encourage the consumption of fresh, frozen, and refrigerated fruits and vegetables. By incorporating a range of produce into our diet, regardless if frozen, fresh, boiled, steamed, grilled, baked, or even raw, we can ensure a well-rounded nutrient intake.
A Note from the Authors:
When we speak of food storage in the above article, we are referring to how produce is purchased from the grocery store or stored at home (fresh, from the refrigerated section or placed into the refrigerator, or frozen). Proper produce storage at home is absolutely essential to maximize shelf life and flavor. As such, we&#;ve included the below for a few helpful tips on produce storage!
A Note on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Proper fruit storage of fresh fruit and vegetables is absolutely essential to maximize shelf life, retain flavor, and minimize food waste! See below for a few helpful websites and tips:
References
Barrett, D. M. (n.d.). Maximizing the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables - UC Davis. https://fruitandvegetable.ucdavis.edu/files/.pdf
Bouzari, A., Holstege, D., & Barrett, D. M. (). Vitamin retention in eight fruits and vegetables: a comparison of refrigerated and frozen storage. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 63(3), 957&#;962. https://doi.org/10./jf
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (n.d.). Processing, Preservation and Storage . IMPROVING NUTRITION THROUGH HOME GARDENING. https://www.fao.org/3/XE/xe42.htm
Galani, J. H. Y., Patel, J. S., Patel, N. J., & Talati, J. G. (). Storage of Fruits and Vegetables in Refrigerator Increases their Phenolic Acids but Decreases the Total Phenolics, Anthocyanins and Vitamin C with Subsequent Loss of their Antioxidant Capacity. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 6(3), 59. https://doi.org/10./antiox
&#;&#;Li, L., Pegg, R. B., Eitenmiller, R. R., Chun, J.-Y., & Kerrihard, A. L. (). Selected nutrient analyses of fresh, fresh-stored, and frozen fruits and vegetables. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 59, 8&#;17. https://doi.org/10./j.jfca..02.002
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