Yahoo Finance 4 reasons why you should buy frozen food instead of fresh
Fruits and vegetables are some of the healthiest foods you can eat. They can help you maintain a healthy weight, lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. But frozen produce can serve you just as well — if not better — than fresh. Here are some reasons to consider buying frozen produce over fresh.
Frozen food may be more nutritious
Fresh produce loses nutritional value over time. Fresh fruits and vegetables are picked before they are ripe so they can ripen during the transportation process. Unfortunately, this gives them less time to develop all the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants they can offer. Plus, they can lose even more nutrients as they sit on supermarket shelves or inside the homes of consumers. Frozen produce, on the other hand, is picked at peak ripeness and then frozen, which means they may retain more nutrients than fresh produce.
2. You save time
Frozen produce is usually already prepped. This means you’ll save a ton of time on washing, peeling and cutting fruits and vegetables. Just open the bag, throw ‘em into your pot or pan and get cooking!
3. You can save money
Frozen produce is often cheaper than fresh and has a longer (freezer) shelf life to boot. This means you’re doubly cutting down on costs since you’re saving money you might have lost on spoiled fruits and vegetables.
4. Buying frozen reduces food waste
Wasted food makes up the most material in municipal landfills, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and food spoilage is one of the top reasons people throw out food. Buying frozen produce extends the life of your food and minimizes the chances of spoilage and waste.
That said, there are some downsides to frozen over fresh produce. Frozen produce uses more packaging than fresh, which creates more waste. Also, freshly picked, locally sourced in-season produce will likely offer the best taste and nutrient quality, but not everyone has access to that. If peak fresh produce isn’t available to you, frozen produce offers just as much, if not more, nutritional value.
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