Benefits of Frozen Food

The benefits of frozen food are great and you can freely consume and prepare it. More and more people are choosing different frozen foods, vegetables, and fruits and including them in their daily menu for variety or from a practical point of view.

One of the great advantages of them is that they are pre-washed, chopped, ready for cooking, and are very practical.

The main reason for buying frozen food, fruits, and vegetables is the fact that they are seasonal and often need to be imported from other countries.

It is good to know that in order for fresh fruits to reach us ready to eat, they are often harvested before they ripen and thus lose some of their nutrients during the long journey to the shops.

Frozen foods are safe to eat

Frozen foods are completely safe to eat once thawed. There is too much free space between fresh (unprocessed) food and man as the end-user in which food can undergo significant changes.

In contrast, frozen food is generally pre-processed (cleaned, sliced, and packaged) and is safer in this form.

Therefore, although some claim that fresh is best only partially true, frozen foods are safe to eat and should not be doubted.

Frozen foods retain nutrients

Many also give inaccurate information claiming that fresh food is richer in nutrients than frozen food.

Because it simply takes at least 7 days from the field to the table in our conditions, and as it is known fruits and vegetables and other foods are subject to spoilage by microflora.

During this period, under the influence of high temperatures and humidity, the amount of vitamin C that serves as an indicator of freshness can be reduced by 25 percent.

If vegetables and fruits are harvested at the right time and then processed and frozen within 48 hours, almost all of the nutrients will be preserved.

Many recent studies have almost completely equated fresh and frozen products, and both varieties are equally healthy. Noting that frozen products can not stay in the freezer forever and that they have their own optimal and maximum shelf life.

These latest findings are confirmed by researchers at the University of Sheffield Hallam, led by Dr. Charlotte Harden, who have long studied all aspects of fresh and frozen food.

They argue that in some circumstances frozen foods have advantages over fresh foods.

The reason is simply that in frozen food, when it is frozen, all processes are stopped and its nutritional values are retained.

While in fresh food there is an acute decline in nutritional values because the road from the field to the table is too long.

Frozen foods are good for cooking

The practice has shown that the best culinary methods are in terms of preserving nutrients, steaming or processing in a microwave oven, and the worst way is cooking that destroys most vitamins.

This practically means the use of modern dishes for healthy eating where steam is produced in the lower bowel, and on the “first” and “second” floors are arranged groceries that preserve not only the nutrients but also the original color and aroma.

It is true that fresh food has a better taste and even texture than frozen food, and one is fresh and the other is completely frozen pepper.

We also know that there are horticultural crops that can not be frozen like lettuce. The only variant when the fresh vegetables really have an advantage over the frozen ones is when they are procured directly on the farm, ie the same day when they are harvested.

Frozen foods require less preparation time

This is exactly how frozen food takes much less time to prepare. Fresh food requires much more time for preparation and cooking.

Fresh beans and legumes must be cooked for a long time and as a rule can not be prepared quickly, which means much higher energy consumption.

Ten percent of vitamin C can be lost on the first day of standing at elevated temperatures.

For example, freshly picked peas lose up to 20 percent of their total vitamin C content after 24 hours of standing. In addition, pre-processing of fresh food loses up to 30 percent of the initial weight.

There is no such thing as frozen food. And now we come to what we have already mentioned; if the food is properly frozen in the first 24 hours after harvest, it contains more valuable nutrients than the same food that has been in the air for 24 hours.

The process of rapid decomposition due to enzymatic and bacterial activity is stopped and thus remains for 2-3 months depending on the type and temperature of freezing.

So we will get faster cooking and more nutrients from properly frozen food.

Frozen food is cheaper

Although many may be surprised, analyzes show that frozen foods are often much cheaper than the same fresh foods. People in principle unreservedly believe in fresh food, and that is why many sometimes consume raw food.

What we have not mentioned so far as an advantage of frozen food other than the price, is the possibility of consuming it out of season.

The freezing process allows you to consume all kinds of fruits and vegetables throughout the year.

Frozen foods have fewer pesticides

Frozen fruits and vegetables have fewer pesticides, and here’s why.

One of the main, if not the key factors in favor of frozen vegetables is the fact that frozen products have fewer pesticides than fresh ones. I know many will be surprised, but in reality, things are like that.

The reason is relatively simple; fruits and vegetables (which are not organically grown) are richly treated with a range of pesticides.

After harvesting, those vegetables and fruits intended for sale in fresh condition are only slightly rinsed with water, which is absolutely insufficient.

Vegetables and fruits intended for freezing go through a whole hot and cold process of very solid washing, which removes the most dangerous pesticides and spoilage microflora.

Analysis of fresh and frozen samples confirms this significant difference.

Disadvantages of frozen food

Of course, frozen food, in addition to benefits, as well as everything else, has its drawbacks, which we will mention here.

First and foremost, frozen foods include the so-called cold chain during storage and transportation.

It is not easy to set up or maintain. Frozen fruits and vegetables can not be eaten raw because they must first be thawed.

Freezing damages the cellular structure of fruits and vegetables because ice crystals form inside.

When food is thawed, the crystals melt, and the fruit “shrinks” and loses its original shape, which is best seen in berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries).

However, the dry matter of fruits and vegetables remains intact and is used in the calculation of the recommended daily amounts.

Which frozen food is harmful?

Find out which frozen foods to avoid from your table because even though it is healthy, there are some foods that are not so good to be frozen.

– Frozen pizza
This product contains many food additives and other unwanted ingredients. If you can not knead the dough at home better go to a pizzeria.

-Frozen cheeseburger

These foods contain up to 500 calories and more than 15 grams of generally the cheapest and most unhealthy fats. There is almost no fiber and there is a lot of sodium.

-Frozen dishes with pasta

The various types of pasta found in semi-finished products are usually made with trans fats that are dangerous for circulation. They also contain many additives and sodium.

– Frozen chopsticks with seafood or chicken

This food has little meat, but therefore contains a large amount of trans fat. Frozen chicken contains two to three times more fat than a regular cheeseburger, and in addition to sodium, it has artificial flavors.

– Frozen french fries

Ordinary french fries are not healthy either, so you can imagine what frozen fruit is. With all the circumstances such as large amounts of fat, it is frozen in plastic bags. Certain chemicals in plastics can increase the risk of cancer.

– Frozen semi-finished cakes and pastries

Cakes that are prepared in one minute are not good for health. The best are fresh cakes where you will know what ingredients it contains without fat, a lot of sugar and additives.

How long should we keep food frozen?

Freezing food prevents the growth of bacteria, so it should be safe for consumption no matter how long it has been in the freezer.

But experience has shown that after a while, foods lose their flavor and texture. Well, how long can food last without it happening?

– The game can last 3-4 months, the lamb and veal up to 9 months, and the pork up to 12 months.

Pieces of chicken can last up to 1 year, while wings, drumsticks, and other parts of the bird can last up to 3 months maximum.

– The tongue, lungs, and kidneys can be used for up to 4 months, and fresh burgers, uncooked sausages, and hot doses for up to 2 months.

– Oily fish such as sardines and salmon can last up to 3 months, and lean fish – twice.

Heat-treated mussels can stand for 2-3 months, crabs up to 10 months, and canned seafood for about 2 months.

– Cheeses and cheeses can also be put in the freezer, but up to 6 months.

Margarine can last 3 months longer than cheese, and you can freeze milk that can last 6 months.

– You can store the purchased ice cream according to the instructions on the box, and the homemade ice cream for up to 2 months.

– When we talk about fruits and vegetables, healthy natural fruits can last frozen for up to 8 months to a year.

Keep in mind that it is not recommended to freeze foods with a high amount of water in them – such as cucumbers and strawberries, because after thawing they turn into porridge.

– Homemade and purchased juices are another product that you can freeze, of course, if they are not in glass bottles because they will burst at low temperatures.

The temperature of the freezer should be set at -18 degrees Celsius, and each food should be in solid plastic packaging and properly distributed.

Foods that are better frozen

Vegetables and fruits that are better in frozen form:

Carrots – they are a great option because the high levels of beta carotene and antioxidants are retained in this vegetable by freezing and thus have guaranteed health benefits (better eyesight, beautiful skin).

Peas – it is an affordable and convenient option to get more of the mandatory daily intake of vegetables. And it can easily be added to soups, stews, or salads or used as a standalone meal. Peas are also one of the healthiest vegetables.

Broccoli – Vegetables with a high content of vitamin C, such as broccoli, lose this vitamin during transport, prolonged storage, and exposure to a lot of heat and light, but when frozen they maintain the level of vitamins and antioxidants.

Spinach – Fresh spinach is great to eat when you decide to eat it fresh, but frozen spinach is much more suitable and easier to prepare.

Fresh vegetables lose significant volume and nutrients during cooking.

Keep in mind that frozen spinach contains a lot of water, so before adding it to the dish, thaw it in a strainer and rinse it under warm water.

Corn – this is perhaps the most commonly used frozen food, as it retains all the nutrients in both fresh and frozen form.

Berries – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries – have proven to be of better value when frozen (especially out of season) because they begin to lose their nutritional value when harvested.

Mango – Frozen mango has many more benefits than we think.

Except for the preparation of a wonderful smoothie, mango in this form can be added to various desserts and salads.

Peaches – forget about peaches canned in jars and cans that contain a lot of sugar.

Frozen fruit is much healthier and can be used as a dressing for pancakes and waffles, pies, and pastries.