Everybody knows that you need to eat plenty of fruit if you are looking after your wellness and wellbeing. Vegetables are also a vital part of your diet and nutrition, but it can be hard to always get fresh fruit and veg as it does not store well for very long. Many surveys have shown that people throw out a great deal of spoiled fruit and veg every year, which leads to people turning to store cupboard alternatives such as canned and frozen. But are these products as good as the fresh ones?
The answer may well surprise you; whilst it’s true that some fruits and vegetables lose nutrients and flavour when frozen, others thrive brilliantly in your freezer compartment. We’ve put together a list of the best products to eat frozen.
Frozen corn kernels are a prime example. When you try these you will find that they have a great deal more flavour than the canned variety, and they are also far better for you. Corn also undergoes a blanching process before being frozen, which can boost zeaxanthin and lutein levels (which help to fight against vision loss) by a large amount. You should consume your frozen corn within six months though.
Frozen peas are great, too, having nearly as much flavour and nutrients as the fresh variety. The freezing process even increases the antioxidant activity of peas. Just half a cup of frozen peas provides you with 13 percent of your daily vitamin C requirement, and they last for ages in the freezer. A study found that they had lost less than 10 percent of their nutrients after a whole year in the freezer.
We all know the blueberries are fantastic for health, and the good news is that when they are frozen they don’t use any of their wonderful properties. Frozen blueberries can even be microwaved for a minute to boost the levels of anthocyanin (flavonoids that help prevent cancer and heart disease) before consuming.