Q & A

Fresh vs. Frozen Vegetables

Are we giving up nutrition for convenience? The answer may surprise you.

Fresh vs Frozen Vegetables

Americans typically eat only one-third of the recommended daily intake (three servings instead of nine) of fruits and vegetables, so if you’re in a bind, a vegetable in any form is better than no vegetable at all.

And as winter approaches, fresh produce is limited—or expensive—in much of the country, which forces many of us to turn to canned or frozen options. While canned vegetables tend to lose a lot of nutrients during the preservation process (notable exceptions include tomatoes and pumpkin), frozen vegetables may be even more healthful than some of the fresh produce sold in supermarkets, says Gene Lester, Ph.D., a plant physiologist at the USDA Agricultural Research Center in Weslaco, Texas. Why? Fruits and vegetables chosen for freezing tend to be processed at their peak ripeness, a time when—as a general rule—they are most nutrient-packed.

While the first step of freezing vegetables—blanching them in hot water or steam to kill bacteria and arrest the action of food-degrading enzymes—causes some water-soluble nutrients like vitamin C and the B vitamins to break down or leach out, the subsequent flash-freeze locks the vegetables in a relatively nutrient-rich state.

On the other hand, fruits and vegetables destined to be shipped to the fresh-produce aisles around the country typically are picked before they are ripe, which gives them less time to develop a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals. Outward signs of ripening may still occur, but these vegetables will never have the same nutritive value as if they had been allowed to fully ripen on the vine. In addition, during the long haul from farm to fork, fresh fruits and vegetables are exposed to lots of heat and light, which degrade some nutrients, especially delicate vitamins like C and the B vitamin thiamin.

Bottom line: When vegetables are in-season, buy them fresh and ripe. “Off-season,” frozen vegetables will give you a high concentration of nutrients. Choose packages marked with a USDA “U.S. Fancy” shield, which designates produce of the best size, shape and color; vegetables of this standard also tend to be more nutrient-rich than the lower grades “U.S. No. 1” or “U.S. No. 2.” Eat them soon after purchase: over many months, nutrients in frozen vegetables do inevitably degrade. Finally, steam or microwave rather than boil your produce to minimize the loss of water-soluble vitamins.

—Rachael Moeller Gorman

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USER COMMENTS — Add Your Comment

You are correct about the harvesting times of fruit and veggies. Most of my life we picked or worked in this field. When picking and packing fruits like apples and pears, they are picked when they sugar levels are still low, so that they will store in cold storage and can be shipped around the country at different times of the year without spoiling. And veggies the same way for fresh produce which is an oxymoron anyway because it is far from fresh by the time it gets to your local store... I also work at Birdseye frozen foods and they are run through a quick hot water wash, and sent straight to the flash freeze room. This I know because that is where I worked. Then we sorted out the junk and sent them on to be packaged while still frozen. Once frozen they were not allowed to thaw... Also work for Blue Goose packing house, and also for Cock of the Walk canniers processing tomatoes... So frozen is better because it is picked at the highest time of nutrient value...

Jackie, Chanute, KS

This is not new or recent research as you indicated. Instead, God gave us these guidelnes over 4,000 years ago.

Lilli Hetherington, Dallas, TX

God gave us guidelines on flash freezing vegetables over 4000 years ago? I would be interested in a scripture reference on that! Pastor John

Pastor John Harry, Dallas, TX

Oh brother...

Carol, Naperville, IL

Mind citing a verse for us, Lilli? To what new research are you referring? As for relevancy, I don't believe they had freezers in Biblical times.

Mary, Portland, OR

I thought microwaving vegs made them lose some of the nutritional value such as antioxidants.

Jen, Anchorage, AK

Microwaving foods isn't as bad as stove cooking because the food doesn't spend as much time at high heats or soaking in water/oils which encourages and speeds the lost of nutrients.

Ela, Saint Charles, MO

We are Import/Export company in (Fruit and Vegetables) Fresh/Frozen/Juices. We aware of all the chemicals that used during growing and packing or transporting the goods with proper temperatures to ensure the goods arrive fresh, green, hard. Nutrition wise, sadly, there are not much left for comsumers, just, beautiful looks on the outside. Therefore, we are making an agressive campaign for FROZEN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES as an Nutiritional alternative for all exotics/tropicals fresh produce. Sincerely yours, fresh-universe@planet.nl

Jocelyn Woensdregt, Vlaardingen, Nl

I totally agree that frozen veggies and fruits are sometimes better than fresh. I have a good friend that manages a grocery store and he said to always look at the produce carefully because I would never buy fresh if I saw what he sees in the back before they put it out for the consumer. I live where there is NO FARMERS MARKETS and the only way you can get the freshest produce is grow it yourself or friends that have gardens. I live right on the gulf coast where it is warm year round and no one has ever set up a fresh fish or fresh produce market. Odd huh???

Carla Kurtz, Port Lavaca, TX