Are Frozen Or Canned Fruits & Vegetables As Nutritious As Fresh Ones?

Fruit and vegetables form an important part of a healthy diet. Consuming adequate fruits and vegetables daily can help to prevent chronic disease as well as promote a healthy weight. Specific recommendations vary depending upon your age, sex and physical activity, however, adults need 2.5 to 3 cups of vegetables and 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit each day. Fresh fruits and vegetables can be rich sources of vitamins and minerals, yet don't overlook frozen ones as these provide comparable nutritional quality.

Background

Fruits and vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber that are essential to prevent chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, stroke and some cancers. Individuals who eat more fruits and vegetables also tend to be at a healthier weight. In order to maximize your nutritional intake from fruits and vegetables, choose a wide variety with different colors. The chemicals responsible for color appear to have healthful properties in addition to the vitamin and mineral content.

Fresh or Frozen?

Buy fresh produce that has been harvested at the peak of ripeness for the highest nutritional quality. Off season produce is harvested prior to reaching full maturity, which means the nutritional content has not been permitted to fully develop. Even though the fruits and vegetables look fully ripe by the time they reach your supermarket, they do not have the full complement of vitamins and minerals they would had they been permitted to ripen on the vine. Further nutritional losses occur from exposure to both light and heat during transport to your supermarket .Vitamins C and the B vitamins are especially susceptible to destruction. Fruits and vegetables sold in the off season tend to be more expensive, too.

What Happens During Freezing?

Frozen fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, can be a more nutritious choice during the winter months. Food manufacturers use a quick freeze process to preserve nutritional content. Generally this means a higher nutritional content, since they are harvested when fully ripe. After harvesting, the produce is exposed to a high temperature for a very short time to kill off bacteria. Flash freezing is the next step, which prevents further nutrient degradation. "Be assured, if you love blueberries and all of their health benefits, for example, the frozen version is just as good as the fresh," says fitness expert and registered dietitian Natalie Digate Muth.

Tips for Choosing Frozen Produce

Choose frozen produce marked with a USDA "U.S. Fancy" label for the highest nutritional content. Vegetables with a "U.S. No.1" or "U.S. No. 2" label are lower quality, according to the EatingWell website. Nutrient content does tend to decrease with time even with frozen produce, so avoid long storage times in your freezer. Prepare frozen fruits and vegetables by steaming or microwaving to avoid further nutrient degradation.