If you buy your fruit and/or vegetables frozen instead of fresh do they still count towards your 5-a-day? Yes they do! For some reason this is often questioned, leaving people unsure whether frozen is ok.
With regards to nutrients, frozen fruit and veg might actually be marginally better. Freshly picked or farmed it’s then frozen shortly after. Whereas fresh produce may have been sat on the shelves for longer. Please don’t let this stop you buying fresh! This post is about allaying fears around frozen goods.
Looking at it from a practical standpoint there are a few advantages to buying fruit or veg frozen. The first is price. It’s often a lot cheaper than fresh. If fresh is cost prohibitive then more economical ways to get more vegetables and fruits into your diet is great, and can help avoid micronutrient deficiencies.
Another consideration is food wastage. Frozen (and tinned too) has a much longer shelf life (should that be freezer life?). In contrast fresh fruit and veg may only last for a few days before going off. If you can only shop once a week, this may mean if you don’t eat it all within a couple of days you end up throwing out anything that’s gone bad. Or it means you only have fresh for part of the week.
We know eating more vegetables and fruit is beneficial for health. They provide fibre and a diverse range of vitamins and minerals. Frozen is a great alternative to fresh, and can save you some money too.
(Reposted from Instagram)