Vegetables are an important source of many different vitamins and minerals and should be a staple of your diet. Fresh vegetables are perishable, which means that they may rot or grow moldy. Many people prefer frozen or canned vegetables, which still are nutritious but may lose some of their nutrition while they are being processed.
Freezing Process and Nutrients
When vegetables are prepared for freezine, they are initially blanched with hot water or steam. This is done to break down any enzymes that could damage the vegetable and to eliminate any bacteria which may be present on the surface of the food. This can eliminate some of the vitamins inside of the vegetable, such as the B vitamins and vitamin C. After this part of the process, the vegetables are rapidly frozen, which locks in the nutrients.
Canning Process and Nutrients
During canning, vegetables are initially exposed to hot water or steam that is near boiling at approximately 203 degrees F. After this, the lids of the cans are sealed and the contents are sterilized at approximately 250 degrees F for several minutes. This is a longer period of time of heating than with frozen vegetables, so more of the vitamins are lost. On the other hand, some substances, such as beta-carotene and lycopene are more easily absorbed by the body after they have been heated, so canned vegetables may have more of some vitamins than frozen vegetables.
Sodium
One concern about canned vegetables is that they often have salt added to them. This can add unnecessary sodium to the vegetables. Consuming too much sodium can cause your body to retain extra water, which increases your blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, you should try to keep your sodium intake to under 2,000 mg per day. Look for canned vegetables that are labeled as without added salt.
Considerations
One thing that should be noted is that the merits of canned vs. frozen food do not factor in the effects of cooking. As a general rule, the more you cook vegetables, the more nutrition you lose. Boiling or steaming your vegetables will cause them to lose some of their vitamins regardless of what form they came in. Still, eating frozen or canned vegetables is preferable to omitting this important food group entirely from your daily diet.
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