Open your freezer and what do you see? A frozen pizza? Maybe some ice cream? How about frozen fruits and vegetables?
During the winter and early spring months, fresh produce is more expensive, less flavorful, and less nutrient-dense than it is in the summer. But, don’t worry. It’s easy to get a wide variety of “off-season”, nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables into your diet by shopping the frozen aisle.
Benefits:
- A fruit or vegetable starts to lose nutrients the moment it’s picked. Because fruits and vegetables are frozen within hours of being picked, the nutrients are preserved.
- In fact, they may contain a higher nutrient content than fresh produce.
- Freezing means no added preservatives! Frozen produce without any added salt or sugar is common.
- You can keep them in the freezer for long periods of time, so it means less spoilage and food waste. Our Garlic & Basil Beans only requires half a pound of green beans; you can save the rest for another meal.
- They cost less than out of season fresh produce.
- Most of the time, frozen produce comes pre-prepped, meaning it is already diced, cut and washed, saving you time in the kitchen. This Splendid Spinach Dip uses chopped spinach and will save time.
Tips:
- If the package includes sauce, look for low-sodium (less than 5%), low-fat (less than 3 grams) options. Take a peek at the nutrition facts label on the back.
- Portion different frozen veggies into containers and freeze for a quick meal addition to pop in the microwave.
- Compare prices and quantity of different frozen food brands.
- Buy in bulk- just be sure you have room in the freezer!
Written by Anna Perracchio, Dietetic Intern with Sodexho
#frozen, #produce, #recipes