Are Frozen Foods good for you?

Are Frozen Foods good for you?

March is 'Frozen Food Month'! Like most people, I had no clue that there was such a month as “Frozen Food Month” (definitely frozen food manufactures have something to do with this)! Anyway, we were grocery shopping and a poster for the same caught my eye. Although I’m not for frozen ready-made/ready to eat food as it has way too much sodium and preservatives, I am a regular visitor to the frozen veggie aisle.

Frozen fruits and veggies are according to me a life saver for working men and women! Washing,cutting and cooking veggies take time and that’s where these frozen veggies come handy since they are already cleaned and cut.

Nutritionally too, frozen veggies have the same nutrition as fresh vegetables and fruits. Some scientists feel that frozen fruits and vegetables are more nutritious than fresh foods as they are picked, cleaned, cut and frozen immediately after harvesting. Compare this to the amount of time it takes for the fresh veggies to be picked, packed, sent to the different parts of the country before it reaches a sabziwala(vegetable vendor) or sabzimandi or bazaar near you. Even after that, it’s probably sitting on the cart/refrigerated shelf for some time before you pick (and put in the fridge) and it gets eaten!

The advantages of frozen veggies and fruit:

• Easy, convenient and saves a lot of time (can you think of the amount of time saved peeling fresh peas)!
• Sometimes frozen veggies or fruits can be cheaper when the fresh vegetable is not in season.
• Similar in nutritional content as fresh veggies/fruits.

I always have a packet of frozen mixed veggies which has green beans, carrots, green peas and corn-I usually use this in pulav’s, upma, khichdi, poha, biryani and even in pasta and noodles! Frozen berries and mangoes are great to use in smoothies and milkshakes.

You can also make your own frozen vegs/fruit packets-buy in bulk when in season, portion out and freeze. 

What kind of frozen foods do you pick up?