Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

In the world of whole food plant-based diets, frozen fruits and vegetables are unjustly maligned, but I’m here to say we should do away with that old notion. Here are four reasons why I love frozen fruits and vegetables, and you should too:

1. Frozen Fruits and Veggies are as Nutritious as they are Fresh

Most folks I’ve spoken to think that frozen fruits and vegetables are much less nutritious than their fresh counterparts, but because of the freezing process, they may have even more nutritional value than fresh. The moment you harvest a fruit or vegetable, they begin to break down and lose their nutrients. Frozen fruits and vegetables are flash frozen immediately following harvest, so they are at their peak nutritional value when you bring them out of your freezer for dinner.

2. Frozen fruits and veggies are often easier to use

When I get home after a long day at the hospital, I’m not always in the mood to chop up fresh vegetables for dinner. Most often the frozen vegetables come prechopped and prewashed. Many even come in a bag you can easily steam them in.

The same goes for frozen fruits. They come prewashed and prechopped, which makes prepping a quick smoothie much faster. I’m frequently rushed in the morning to get to work, so having frozen berries to toss into my oatmeal is a lifesaver!

3. You can keep a variety of fruits and vegetables in the freezer

A lot of people are familiar with Dr. Will Bulsiewicz who wrote Fiber Fueled. Dr. Bulsiewicz advocates for eating as many kinds of plants as you can. He often cites a study showing that people who eat 30 or more different types of plants per week have a healthier gut microbiome than those who don’t [1].

Eating a diversity of plants throughout the week can pose some challenges, but frozen fruits and vegetables help you out because you can store many kinds of them without fear of them spoiling over the work week. At any given time, I have berries, spinach, peas, beans, carrots, strawberries, cherries, and whatever else I want. The number of things I can make with all this produce is amazing.

4. Frozen fruits and vegetables will save you money

When I’m shopping for produce, I’m usually my best self. I go right after a workout, and I want to pick out a ton of fresh produce. The problem is, I don’t have that kind of energy later when it’s time to cook them, so I used to wind up wasting a lot of the fresh produce.

You and I are not alone in this regard; according to US Department of Agriculture, there is about 1lb of food waste per person per day in The United States. That’s 30-40% of the entire food supply [2]. This isn’t just some invisible problem either; you are throwing away your money every time you throw away those cucumbers you forgot about in the back of the fridge.

Lucky for us, frozen fruits and vegetables have incredibly long shelf lives. Fresh fruits like berries can only last a couple days in the fridge. Some longer-lived vegetables like cabbage and root veggies can last up to three weeks. Frozen fruits and vegetables, however, can last anywhere from 9-12 months!

In addition to what you save by not throwing out food, you’ll find that frozen fruits and vegetables are usually cheaper than fresh ones.

Here’s a list Some particularly good frozen fruits and veggies that I buy regularly:

Frozen cherries – I love cherries, and they have some great health benefits, but they are pricy when fresh.

Frozen berries- They are great because they’re typically cheaper by weight and there’s little risk of wasting frozen berries. Nothing makes me sadder than finding I let my fresh blueberries get moldy

Edamame – Edamame a complete plant protein. They hold up to freezing very well. They keep their shape and texture no problem. You can thaw them and eat them right away as a snack or toss them into a stir fry. I sometimes toss them in a little soy sauce and eat them on their own.

Frozen green beans – They have a great texture and are cheaper than their fresh counterparts.

Frozen asparagus – They are surprisingly good compared to fresh. You can make a stir-fry easily with these if you break them up before they thaw.

Mixed vegetable blends – These get you a great variety of nutrients with little effort at prep for yourself. Those Costco Normandy vegetables are where it's at.

Corn – Corn is packed with nutrients. People also forget corn is a whole grain. I like to thaw out corn and eat it on salads or by itself as a side to dinner.

Spinach – I am a frequent spinach waster. Spinach is about as healthy a food as you can get, but I wind up wasting a lot of each bunch I buy. Not so with frozen spinach. It’s easy to pour out a bit into whatever you’re making to get some of those wonderful dark leafy greens in. I also love to put frozen spinach in my smoothie.

Peas – They keep their texture well. They, like edamame, are a complete plant protein. I also love the taste of frozen peas (probly has something to do with eating them a lot as a kid). Easy to toss into salads or have as a stand-alone side dish.

I hope you’ll buy some frozen produce next time you’re at the supermarket. Let me know if there are any great tips I missed or if you have any questions!

References

McDonald, D., Hyde, E., Debelius, J. W., Morton, J. T., Gonzalez, A., Ackermann, G., … & Knight, R. (2018). American gut: an open platform for citizen science microbiome research. Msystems, 3(3), e00031-18. [accessed April 2022 via: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29795809/]

https://www.usda.gov/foodwaste/faqs