Ask Marilyn – Frozen vs. fresh vegetables?
Q: Is there much difference in the nutritional value of frozen and fresh vegetables?
A: Much depends on how fresh the vegetables were to start with and how you cook them. ‘Fresh’ no longer means ‘just picked.’
If your fresh vegetables have sat at the markets, then at the greengrocer and then in your fridge before you prepare them, their vitamin levels will have already declined. And if you overcook them or hold them warm for more than 5 minutes, that further destroys some (not all) of the nutrients. It’s mostly the heat-sensitive vitamins – C and B group – that are affected. The content of minerals and fibre remains the same.
So frozen can be as good as fresh, sometimes even better as frozen vegetables are often frozen immediately after being picked whereas it may be days or even weeks before ‘fresh’ vegetables end up on your kitchen table ready to be eaten. Having said that, uncooked fresh vegetables – like a salad – are a potent source of vitamins and antioxidants and I often recommend a salad a day for just this reason. I would also recommend choosing organic where possible for either fresh or frozen vegetables.