Frozen treasures: How freezing boosts vegetable nutrients
6 October 2024 16:19
British dietitian Rhiannon Lambert claims that some vegetables gain valuable nutrients through freezing. The list includes three types that often end up on our plates.
Frozen foods have as many supporters as detractors. Some people wonder whether freezing causes foods to lose their nutritional value. The British dietitian notes that in certain cases, the opposite is true.
Some vegetables and fruits actually have more vitamins and minerals due to freezing compared to their fresh counterparts. Why? Fresh produce is transported and stored in shops for several days, while frozen varieties retain more vitamins immediately after harvesting.
Three popular vegetables gain nutritional value through freezing, which benefits us. Which ones made the list?
Freeze these vegetables. The expert explains what you'll gain
Rhiannon Lambert, in an interview with the Daily Mail, points out that frozen broccoli contains more vitamin B2, or riboflavin, an essential component for proper digestion and brain function.
The list also includes corn, which contains more vitamin C when frozen than its fresh counterpart. Additionally, thanks to freezing, it retains its natural sweetness.
The dietitian also advises freezing spinach, which spoils and loses its nutrients very quickly when fresh. Frozen leaves preserve valuable folic acid and vitamin C.
Not just vegetables
Rhiannon Lambert emphasises that the freezing process is also beneficial for fish, helping them retain important fatty acids such as omega-3.
- A recent study found that most omega-3 in fish remains nutritionally available even after three months of freezing, - emphasised the dietitian.
Though beneficial, freezing food has its downsides, as Silke Restemeyer from the German Nutrition Society mentioned. Products can sometimes differ slightly in taste and appearance after freezing. Additionally, freezing is not the most environmentally friendly process, as freezers consume a lot of energy.
- Freezing has almost no effect on nutritional components (...). Flavour and taste are largely preserved, and the loss of nutrients is very low, - said Restemeyer, quoted by the German service Bild.
