Frozen vs Fresh vegetables......?

Question

Common sense would dictate that fresh vegetables would be more nutritious than frozen ones. However, after fresh vegs are picked, boxed, shipped and sit in the supermarket for several days, are they more nutritious than the vegs that are sent directly to the freezing plant and frozen quickly? I tend to think that the fresh are better, but some friends of mind say that there is little difference considering the price: fresh vegs are much more expensive than frozen ones. tks

Answer 1

There is little difference, especially for the reasons cited in your question. Also, unless you're going to use them right away, the fresh will continue to lose nutrients and of course spoil. I use both; I prefer fresh if roasting or stir frying, as it's less watery and remains more crisp. And I like a lot of raw veggies and salads. But you can't beat frozen for convenience. I use VERY few canned veggies. They have too much sodium, are too mushy, and are often dreck. I really only use canned beans, like black beans or chick peas.

Answer 2

I believe that good quality frozen vegetables may be amore nutritious than fresh ones. For example, the vitamin C in grean peas deteriorates quite quickly, but freezing halts this process. Vegetables are frozen very soon after picking so are maintained at a higher level of freshness than any 'fresh' vegetables in the shops. Of course, the best are vegetables picked from your own garden and used within minutes.

Answer 3

From a grocery store- I would purchase more frozen. The frozen veggies are supposed to be picked at their peak and then quickly frozen. I think everything in the grocery stores’ produce section has traveled many miles and has sat there getting drizzled by the stores’ sprinkler ( I don’t like the sprinklers- an illusion of freshness, but how often are those hoses cleaned??) Plus, those items are grown so they can handle being transported- not much taste- and you know they get picked early, thinking they’ll ripen during transport/ sitting on the shelf. Get fresh produce from farmer’s markets.

Answer 4

The fresher the better. As you said, the frozen are flash frozen after being picked. They say that almost all vitamin content is intact. Determining how fresh the fresh vegetables are becomes an unanswerable question. Supposedly they will not lose vitamin content til after a week. It's kinda like Russian roulette. Unless you grew it yourself, you really don't know.

Answer 5

The British Nutrition Foundation, the US National Institutes of Health, and other private researchers have found in their studies that most frozen vegetables and fruits surpass fresh (purchased at a grocery store) in nutrition. As others have mentioned here, a "fresh" vegetable may have been harvested several days before you purchase it, not to mention that you may not use it immediately once you get it home.

Answer 6

I think that frozen vs. fresh, they are all just as nutritious until you prepare them. There are preservatives in the frozen but the fresh in the grocery store probably still have pesticides and some are polished.

Answer 7

Very good question.....First, let's dissect what "fresh" is......

Fresh is just a euphemism for "not processed at all or minimally just after it is harvested. "Fresh" vegetables can sit about in a grocer's very cold room for days until we get our mitts on them......"Fresh" broccoli, for example can sit for about 2-3 days before it gets to me and then another 2-3 days in my fridge before I consume it........

Frozen veggies are flash frozen within 8 hours of harvesting, which means that they can be substantially "fresher" than "fresh".......Alas, there are some veggies that can only be harvested and need to be consumed immediately as they have an extremely short shelf life and can't be either frozen or canned, so they have to be fresh......

According to the USDA, the nutritional difference between fresh and frozen veggies overall in all nutritional profiles, there is a negligible difference at all.......and you're correct about the price of fresh vs. frozen, as fresh veggies have are seasonal and need to be used ASAP in their fresh state.....Hope this clears things up.....Enjoy!!!

Christopher

Answer 8

Frozen vegetables are the way to go,because you can use them as you need them,and they don't rot quickly like fresh vegetables do.

Answer 9

yes you are right, fresh is better for you.
But think before you eat them you usually cook them, so I will say frozen is better. There is less cook time.

Answer 10

i prefer fresh but if you are on a tight budget frozen is just as good