Frozen Food Myth’s ~ Debunked
t’s time to stop giving frozen food the cold shoulder! Cardboard, square meats, and rock-hard triangular desserts probably come to mind when someone mentions buying frozen foods. Thankfully, frozen food has come a long way since the days of the original TV dinners. In fact, we think you’ll warm up to frozen foods when you realize how many options are healthy for your bank account and your body! Read more to hear the top 5 Frozen Food Myths It’s Time You Stopped Believing!
t’s time to stop giving frozen food the cold shoulder! Cardboard, square meats, and rock-hard triangular desserts probably come to mind when someone mentions buying frozen foods. Thankfully, frozen food has come a long way since the days of the original TV dinners. In fact, we think you’ll warm up to frozen foods when you realize how many options are healthy for your bank account and your body!
5 Frozen Food Myths It’s Time You Stopped Believing:
Fresh foods are more nutritious than frozen foods-
Most people assume that fresh is always best and frozen produce is strictly for convenience’s sake. But it turns out that freezing produce actually helps retain vitamins and minerals that would otherwise be lost if stored at room temperature or in the fridge. A 2017 University of Georgia study compared the concentrations of select nutrients in fresh and frozen produce, including broccoli, cauliflower, corn, green beans, green peas, spinach, blueberries, and strawberries. The findings show no significant differences between the vitamin contents of fresh and frozen produce. In fact, frozen produce actually outperformed fresh produce that had been stored for five days in the refrigerator because the fresh veggies had lost much of their vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate, all of which can contribute to a healthy immune system. So you’re not compromising by purchasing frozen produce. In fact, you may be getting an even more nutrient-packed product. To retain those nutrients, steam or microwave them instead of boiling or sautéing them.
Though proteins and fats are generally relatively stable and do not easily break down, as are minerals such as zinc, iron, and selenium, choosing frozen meat over fresh meat may help you get more of all those macro- and micronutrients. That’s because the freezing and thawing process breaks up some of the cellular structures within the meat, which makes it easier for your body to absorb those nutrients.
Frozen fish is usually flash-frozen almost as soon as it hits the boat deck or dock, locking in protein and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 has over fifteen science-based health benefits, including eye, brain, and heart health; it helps fight autoimmune diseases, depression, anxiety, and inflammation, while also improving bone and joint health. This fatty acid is considered a superhero for a healthy body.
All frozen foods contain added preservatives-
Freezing is a natural form of preservation, so added preservatives aren’t necessary to preserve frozen food. Many ready-made meals are free of preservatives. While it was once the norm for frozen food to be high in preservatives and highly processed, today’s freezers are packed with healthier options made with fewer ingredients, and more wholesome ones at that. Your best bet? Read the label. The longer the ingredient list, the more likely it is to have additives and preservatives.
All frozen foods are high in sodium-
Sodium is naturally found in food, but it’s also used as a preservative. But because freezing itself is a preservative, added sodium isn’t always needed to extend the shelf life of frozen foods. In fact, frozen fruits and vegetables often have no added sodium, making them a healthier alternative to their canned counterparts.
Frozen food expires-
If you’re scared to use those frozen peas hiding in the back of your freezer from times gone by, don’t be. FoodSafety.gov states on their website that “frozen foods stored continuously at 0 degrees F or below can be kept indefinitely.” They do provide guidelines for how long to freeze foods, but these guidelines only indicate the period of time in which the food will be at peak quality because texture and flavor can begin to deteriorate with time.
Frozen food is more expensive than fresh-
We’ve hit nutrition and food safety; now it’s time to talk about money. According to Forbes, “As for the money-saving benefits, frozen foods can be 50% cheaper than their fresh counterparts, if not more.” “And since they can be stored for weeks or even months without spoiling, you cut down on waste and the cost of having to toss fresh items that have gone bad before you had the chance to consume them.” You can also purchase items that are often out-of-season, like berries in winter, and store them year-round in your freezer rather than paying a higher cost in the produce section.
