When you think about healthy food, you probably think of fresh, crunchy vegetables, bursting with colour and flavour. Many a health kick has begun with a trolley load or cardboard box piled with fresh produce, all ready to be chopped into inspiring salads, soups, stir-fries and veggie-based sides &#; or crunched straight from the fridge as a snack.

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Frozen vegetables, on the other hand, are longer lasting, more convenient and unlikely to end up in your bin at the end of the week. They&#;re also said to pack a stronger nutritional punch. So the next time you&#;re doing your weekly grocery shop, which option should you be buying? Are frozen vegetables really better than fresh?

To separate fact from fiction, we&#;ve outlined the pros and cons of fresh and frozen vegetables.

The benefits of frozen vegetables:

1. Frozen vegetables lose fewer nutrients

There&#;s a misconception that frozen vegetables lose nutrients, but as they are usually picked or harvested at peak ripeness then snap frozen within hours, they maintain maximum nutrient levels.

Two independent studies by the University of Chester and Leatherhead Food Research found in 66 per cent of cases, frozen fruit and vegetables contained more antioxidants such as vitamin C, polyphenols, beta carotene and lutein compared to fresh varieties stored in the fridge for three days.

While they&#;re jam-packed with nutrients, keep in mind that boiling frozen (or fresh) vegetables may cause the nutrients to leech out according to Anika Rouf, accredited practising dietitian and spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia. That&#;s why she recommends steaming or baking your veggies instead.

2. Frozen vegetables are more widely available

While organic or freshly picked produce purchased through a farmers market, grocer or your own backyard offer peak nutrients, they&#;re not always easy or possible to get your hands on. Frozen veggies, on the other hand, are convenience food and are widely available at a range of price points.

While supermarkets offer many out of season fresh fruit and vegetables all year round, many of these have been in cold storage for up to or even longer than a year, while others may have travelled long distances to get to your local store.

3. Frozen vegetables save on waste

In an age where we&#;re more conscious about food waste than ever before &#; and the veggie crisper often the place where vegetables slowly turn mushy and unappealing &#; frozen veg is the better option as it stores well for months.

The benefits of fresh vegetables:

1. Fresh vegetables are more inspiring &#; meaning you&#;ll eat more

Visual appeal, taste and texture all play a role in what we choose to eat and Anika says frozen vegetables simply can&#;t compete with a salad bursting with crispy greens, juicy capsicums, crunchy carrot and creamy avocado (especially this Jessica Sepel rainbow salad filled with veggies).

&#;At the end of the day, we know only seven per cent of Australians eat the recommended daily intake of vegetables &#; being five serves per day. Even if your lettuce is a few days old and it has less nutrients than the day it was picked, it is still enormously valuable to your health, so if it&#;s a vegetable you want to eat, it&#;s a good choice &#; fresh or frozen!&#; Anika says.

2. Fresh vegetables are quick and easy to prepare

It&#;s so easy to peel or wash a carrot when you get home from work, while frozen vegetables need to be thoroughly cooked first.

3. Fresh vegetables still contain plenty of fibre for fullness

As well as vitamins, fresh vegetables are a great source of dietary fibre, essential for proper digestion and good gut health &#; in other words, it helps keep you regular. And, fibre levels are not impacted by how many days have passed since harvesting.

Which vegetables are in season when?

Are frozen vegetables better than fresh?

While frozen vegetables maintain maximum nutrient levels, there are many benefits to eating veggies fresh too. At the end of the day, the only &#;wrong&#; way to consumes vegetables is to not consume them enough, and by combining the availability and budget-friendly frozen options with the more visually and flavour-filled fresh, you can have the best of both worlds AND up your intake (yes, that&#;s a hint).

For more tips about giving your body the fuel it needs to function, check out The Check Up&#;s dedicated nutrition section.

Please note: The tips throughout this article serve as broad information and should not replace any advice you have been given by your medical practitioner.&#;   

When to Choose Frozen Vegetables vs. Fresh

We all want to be that person who fills our cart to the brim with fresh fruits and veggies and uses up every last bit of them. We happily buy produce, dutifully drag it home, and feel really good, convinced we&#;re making the healthiest choice for ourselves and our family. Then, before you know it, you open that crisper drawer and are horrified to see all of those beautiful veggies you so lovingly picked out have turned into a sad pile of mush. You vow to do better next week. Then&#;.repeat. 

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You&#;re not alone. We know we can go the canned or frozen vegetable route, but when should we choose frozen vegetables vs. fresh? Does the freezing process zap away nutrients? Will it even taste good? It&#;s hard enough figuring out how to get kids to eat vegetables as it is. 

We&#;ve got what you need to know about frozen produce, and how it can sometimes be even better than fresh. 

Are frozen vegetables healthy?

When choosing frozen vegetables vs. fresh, absolutely. No matter what, having veggies on hand for meals is always a healthy choice, whether they&#;re fresh, frozen, or canned. Frozen veggies:

• Are budget-friendly

• Don&#;t have to be washed

• Come pre-chopped

• Are ready to heat and serve

On a busy weeknight, you may be more likely to throw a bag of veggies to steam in the microwave than to chop and prepare a fresh salad. And we have good news &#; you may not be losing out on nutritional value. 

Fresh produce is often harvested earlier than its peak ripeness. This is because it has to travel from the farm to your grocery store, make it from truck to shelves, and still look appealing enough for consumers to want to buy it.

Frozen vegetables, however, are plucked from the farm at their prime, blanched, then flash-frozen. Many experts agree that most frozen produce has just as many or possibly more vitamins and minerals as fresh, especially when you factor in how long your fresh veggies live in your fridge. It really comes down to how you want to prepare them. 

Do frozen vegetables have preservatives? 

Most don&#;t, but you should look at nutrition facts on the label before buying, especially if they come with seasoning or sauces. 

What are the healthiest frozen vegetables? 

Sometimes it just makes more sense to buy frozen veggies. For instance:

• Veggies (and fruit) for smoothies

  : It&#;s precut, usually more affordable, and you won&#;t need ice cubes.

• Veggies that are out of season locally:

  Chances are the fresh &#;out of season&#; options in your grocery store either had a very long trip to get there or have been hanging out in storage for a while. Your best bet is to purchase them frozen. 

• Anything you&#;re planning to cook:

  Having frozen produce on hand is an easy way to enrich your dish with added vitamins and minerals. You can open a bag to add into casseroles, soups, or pasta dishes for a healthy boost.

The important thing to focus on when it comes to veggies is getting your USDA-recommended 5-9 daily servings.  No matter which you choose, you can be confident you&#;ll get your fix of vitamins and minerals.

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