Fresh vs Frozen Produce

Fresh and frozen produce has its pros and cons, but at the end of the day they both serve many purposes. Debunking myths about which is better, is what you come to AIYANA nutrition for and we are here to serve up the best and most factual findings.

First and foremost, the most important thing to address is that you’ve decided to consume more fruits and vegetables and that is always going to benefit your overall health. The antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fibre from produce is going to work magic on your skin, immune, gut, hormone and reproductive health. So congratulations to you, you’re already making strides in the right direction 👍🏽 

We want to keep things simple for you so we’ve outlined the pros and cons of each in bullet points. Let’s dig in! 

Fresh Pros: 

• Delicious, in season and tastes amazing with the texture you expect 
• Cheaper when bought locally and in season due to lots of supply 
• Nutritionally dense and can be used to enhance almost any dish in any shape or form 
• Farm to table produce (produce that is picked at peak ripeness and bought locally within a couple of days) presents the highest nutritional value 

Frozen Pros: 

• Comes in handy when you don’t have access to fresh produce or it’s out of season 
• Convenient and usually cheaper than fresh produce (unless you’re buying fresh, locally and in season) 
• Have a longer shelf life due to being flash frozen and preserved in the freezer 
• Can be purchased year-round, providing better variety and access to nutrients for people who live in rural populations 
• Eliminate common household food waste because the method of freezing is easy peasy! 

Frozen Cons: 

• May contain added salt, preservatives, and artificial ingredients
• Loose nutrients the longer they are frozen. Typically you want to consume frozen vegetables 8 months to 1 year after purchase 
• Loses normal shape and texture, making it difficult to cook/bake with and for children to eat 

Fresh Cons:  

• Fresh vegetables aren’t perfect, even they lose their nutrients depending on when they were harvested, how long transportation took and the length of time they’ve been sitting on the shelves at the grocery store 
• Contribute to food waste if over purchased or ripen to quickly 

Great news, here's how they are the same. 

If picked at ripeness and frozen immediately, the nutritional value of fresh and frozen produce doesn’t vary and both foods are technically produce that was picked while in season. It’s all in how you prepare the produce. Cooking methods have a lot to do with how nutritionally dense a whole food actually will be. Steaming, sautéing, and roasting are the cooking methods that help you keep the nutritional value of food intact. Hint hint.. these are the cooking methods we use at AIYANA. Over-boiling and barbecuing tend to deplete food of its nutrients, which is why we don’t use these methods. 

We always suggest keeping a healthy balance of fresh and frozen produce in your diet. Choosing to eat more vegetables and fruits is great for your overall health. As long as you’re making the most informed and convenient food choices for you and your family, you’ve made sure that you’re getting enough vitamins, minerals and fibre to keep your body active, alert and energized! 

When the most convenient thing for you to do is ordering freshly prepared meals that eliminates stress, AIYANA is here for you! Feeding families is our bread and butter and we will always be serving the most nutritionally dense food we have to offer.  Place your order for Tuesday by clicking on this link.