It was surprising enough that there was really no difference between fresh and frozen produce, but could frozen actually be better? That may just be the case, according to these researchers.
Researchers took various foodstuffs—broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, green beans, green peas, spinach, blueberries, strawberries—and analyzed the presence of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and folate. They conducted this analysis for three different storage forms: on the day of purchase, frozen, and “fresh-stored,” a classification that refers to food that's stored in the fridge for five days, mimicking typical consumer habits.
The findings? There's usually little statistically-significant variance in the nutrients concentration between the three treatments. When there are differences, though, frozen produce beat their fresh-stored analogs in nutrient retention—more often than not.
“In the cases of significant differences, there was a generally consistent observation of five days of refrigerated storage having a negative association with nutrient concentration,” the researchers write. Green beans have less Vitamin C when they're fresh-stored than when they're bought from freezers; frozen corn has more beta carotene than when it's fresh-stored.
Which do you prefer – fresh or frozen produce? Do you think there's much difference between the two? What's your favorite way to prepare frozen fruits and veggies? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Article Source: Food52
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