\n\t\t\t\t\tWe all know the importance of eating fruit and veg but some foods actually offer more benefits if you choose frozen over fresh\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n
You don\u2019t need to be an expert to know that fruit and vegetables are very good for your health<\/a>. Whether it\u2019s the five-a-day mantra or the increasingly popular \u201c30 plants a week\u201d concept, fresh produce has been cemented as a keystone to a healthy diet.<\/p>\n However, the combined forces of climate extremes (both in the UK and abroad) and issues around the supply chain, as well as global market trends, has made fresh fruit and veg increasingly inaccessible; either too expensive, already wilting or rotten, or simply missing from the supermarket shelves \u2013 with broccoli, cauliflower and other brassicas the latest vegetables<\/a> likely to be in short supply in the spring due to the mild autumn and winter causing crops to come up early.\u00a0<\/p>\n This poses a problem for everyone, especially as the ONS reported in 2024 that only a third of adults in the UK were getting their five a day.<\/p>\n We\u2019re lucky then that we only need to move a few aisles over for the solution.<\/p>\n Frozen fruit and veg<\/a> has the unique perk of being both healthy and cheaper than the alternative. From the moment a piece of produce is picked, it begins to lose nutrients; a process that continues during the long transit from farm to table. Given that the UK market currently imports 47 per cent of vegetables and 84 per cent of fruit, according to The Food Foundation<\/a>, this nutrient loss is hard to avoid.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Fresh\u2019 produce can spend days in transit and on supermarket shelves, during which time nutrients like vitamin C and folate can degrade,\u201d explains registered dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine. \u201cFrozen fruits and vegetables can actually be just as nutritious, and sometimes even more so, than fresh. That\u2019s because they\u2019re picked at peak ripeness and frozen almost immediately, which locks in vitamins and antioxidants.\u201d One 2015 study found that while the vitamin content compared between fresh and frozen produce is often comparable, there were some nutrients (particularly vitamin C<\/a>) that were far higher in the frozen items.<\/p>\n Here are six of the foods that are actually better for you when frozen. <\/p>\n Berries<\/p>\n Berries like blueberries, raspberries and strawberries have undeniable health bonafides, thanks to being rich in nutrients and fibre<\/a>. One study found that certain berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries) have particularly high antioxidant activity, which is crucial for fighting free radicals in the body and reducing DNA damage. However, their seasonality makes fresh berries expensive, unless you buy frozen.<\/p>\n \u201cFrozen within hours of picking, berries such as raspberries and blueberries retain more of their vitamin C and polyphenols,\u201d explains Ludlam-Raine. \u201cFresh berries can lose these delicate antioxidants quickly in storage.\u201d<\/p>\n When defrosted, blueberries, raspberries & blackberries \u201csoften but are usually fine in porridge, yoghurt, and baking,\u201d she says, while strawberries<\/a> \u201ctend to collapse when defrosted) so are better in smoothies, compotes and baking.<\/p>\n Spinach<\/p>\n Spinach is an excellent source of non-haem (non animal) iron, folate, and various vitamins. But fresh spinach is a fickle friend thanks to its high water content \u2013 you only need to find a wet, browning bag at the bottom of your vegetable drawer once to confirm that.<\/p>\n So freezing spinach bypasses discovering a mess in your fridge in a few days, as well as actually increasing the nutritional content.<\/p>\n \u201cFresh spinach wilts fast and loses folate, while frozen spinach preserves more of it,\u201d says Ludlam-Raine. \u201cPlus, because it\u2019s pre-wilted, you get a concentrated source of nutrients like iron<\/a> and vitamin K \u2013 it\u2019s much easier to eat more in a serving.\u201d She recommends using frozen leafy greens in cooking (like curries or stews) to bypass any unpleasant clumping.<\/p>\n Peas<\/p>\n Peas are the quintessential frozen vegetable, found in freezers and on twisted ankles up and down the country.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are one of the best examples of the perks of frozen, as fresh peas can lose their sweetness and nutrients rapidly,\u201d says Ludlam-Raine. \u201cInstead, they go from field to freezer within hours, which keeps their vitamin C and B vitamins intact.\u201d Vitamin C is essential for helping to protect cells, maintaining healthy skin<\/a> and helping with wound healing.<\/p>\n Peas also benefit from maintaining their texture well after freezing, meaning they can be eaten often once thoroughly defrosted.<\/p>\n Sweetcorn<\/p>\n Sweetcorn, like peas, freezes particularly well \u2013 meaning it retains nutrients as well as shape and texture once defrosted. \u201cFreezing sweetcorn helps lock in antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin, which are important for eye health<\/a>,\u201d Ludlam-Raine says. These are types of organic pigments called carotenoids that are often known as \u201cthe eye vitamins\u201d. Zeaxanthin acts as a filter for harmful blue light, while lutein slows down or protects against age-related eye diseases.<\/p>\n Broccoli<\/p>\n Broccoli is another great source of vitamin C as well as riboflavin (vitamin B2), which helps keep the nervous system healthy<\/a> and aids in the body\u2019s release of energy from food. \u201cFrozen broccoli can often preserve more vitamin C compared to fresh stored for several days, plus the florets have a much longer shelf-life than fresh,\u201d says Ludlam-Raine.<\/p>\n Additionally, one study found that there was more riboflavin in frozen, rather than fresh broccoli.<\/p>\n As well as green beans (another great source of vitamin C), broccoli should be cooked straight from frozen for best results.<\/p>\n Mango or avocado<\/p>\n As tropical fruits, mangoes and avocados are particularly subject to the whims of the seasons and transport issues. \u201cFlash-frozen tropical fruits<\/a> are often more nutritious than imported \u201cfresh\u201d ones, which are picked underripe for transport and lose nutrients as they ripen off the tree,\u201d Ludlam-Raine explains. Riper fruits are also easier to digest, meaning the nutritional value is better absorbed.<\/p>\n Mangoes and avocados are both good sources of vitamins C, A, and E, which help prevent damage to cells from free radicals.<\/p>\n Avocados can be particularly affected by freezing\/thawing, so when defrosted, they\u2019re best used for guacamole, dressings and smoothies. Tropical fruits like mango, pineapple, and papaya are also often softer after thawing, making them better in smoothies, compotes and sauces<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We all know the importance of eating fruit and veg but some foods actually offer more benefits if…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":82697,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[242,1991,14908,102,6636,56,54,55,25063],"class_list":{"0":"post-82696","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-features","9":"tag-food","10":"tag-fruit","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-nutrition","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom","15":"tag-unitedkingdom","16":"tag-vegetables"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82696"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82696\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}