Fresh vs. Frozen

Q. Fresh vs. Frozen Vegetables: Are we giving up nutrition for convenient?

A. 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.

1. Not Much Difference Between Fresh and Frozen

The Federal Food and Drug Administration has already announced that there is virtually no difference in nutritional content between fresh and frozen vegetables. For most brands, the vegetables are picked fresh, cleaned and cooked very slightly before they are placed in an airtight package and frozen. Many people insist that frozen vegetables have more of the healthy nutrients than their fresh counterparts because they are usually picked at their prime ripening time and frozen immediately. Sprays and time on a truck, coupled with handling and sitting under ultra-violet lights on the store shelves can actually reduce the vitamins you get from fresh produce.

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2. Consider the Source

Homegrown vegetables are hard to beat. You know what, if any, chemicals and fertilizer you used to grow them and you know where they've been since picking. No store-bought vegetables or frozen foods can beat fresh food coming straight from your own garden. Tailgate markets are becoming increasingly popular venues where you can purchase fresh vegetables from your neighbors' gardens. Local growers, who don't have big commercial farms, peddle their wares in parking lots on Saturday mornings all over the country. Get to know some of those vendors to find out what they use to grow their vegetables. Roadside vegetable stands also can offer a source of freshness that is hard to match. Be sure to ask the owners where their produce came from though. Some roadside vendors supplement their own garden goods with vegetables shipped in from larger farms.

3. Read the Labels

While frozen vegetables can be just as healthy as their fresh counterparts, you must read the labels to find out if additional chemicals or processing formulas were used in the product, which could affect the nutritional content. Sodium is often added for taste and any vegetables prepared in a sauce will contain high amounts of fat and preservatives. Vegetables that are frozen onsite and kept frozen should not need any preservatives. By looking at the nutritional information, you find out the mineral and vitamin content and tell if the processing of the frozen veggies decreased the values. In some tests, lower calcium content was detected on frozen vegetables, while the fresh veggies held lower vitamin C amounts.

4. Take a Taste Test

For the most part, the biggest difference between fresh and frozen vegetables shows up on the palate. The tastes and how you use them makes all the difference in making your final decisions. If you plan on eating vegetables raw, then it is difficult to substitute frozen for fresh. For cooking, however, frozen vegetables can supply an equal amount of flavor, while giving you more time to enjoy your meal.

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.