This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Frozen Food Foundation. All opinions are 100% mine.
Hey All!
Did you know that nearly 80 percent of Americans fail to consume the recommended amounts of fruit, with nearly 90 percent failing to meet dietary recommendations for vegetables? Shocking I know! Fruits and vegetables are major contributors of essential nutrients in our diets, and consuming fruits and vegetables is associated with reduced risk of many chronic diseases. Something I’m sure we’d all like to avoid for ourselves and our families. To get ensure we’re meeting our dietary needs for fruits and veggies I buy frozen veggies and freeze the fruits I do buy fresh.
Freezing is simply nature’s pause button. Frozen fruits and vegetables are picked and frozen at their peak ripeness, locking in the nutrient value at the point of freezing.
Given the increase in the rates of chronic diseases among all age groups, eating a diet rich in a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables is more important than ever. A variety of factors may contribute to low consumption, including cost and convenience. A recent study revealed one easy solution: frozen.
The University of California-Davis (UC Davis), in partnership with the Frozen Food Foundation, conducted an in-depth study to evaluate the nutrient content of eight commonly-purchased frozen and fresh fruits and vegetables. The study analyzed vitamins B2 (riboflavin), C and E, and B-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A); the minerals calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper and iron; dietary fiber; and total phenolics (health-promoting plant compounds). Results reveal that frozen fruits and vegetables are most often (or generally) nutritionally equal to – and in some cases better than – their fresh counterparts. This research adds to the growing body of evidence that supports the important role frozen fruits and vegetables can play to help Americans meet daily intake requirements.
I decided to start freezing after reading this research and after I saw so many of the fresh produce we bought going to waste. I’m sure you all can relate to how quickly strawberries can spoil. If they are not eaten after a day or two they mold. It’s very frustrating and it’s super expensive to let food go to waste. Eating frozen foods has not only been a life saver, but a money saver. Now we can enjoy the frozen veggies and fruits for longer periods of times. And I can also make delicious recipes like some amazing smoothies with our frozen fruits.
Frozen fruits and vegetables offer a convenient, affordable and easy way to help simplify meal preparation. It also allows us to get the proper amount of fruits and veggies we need in our diet.
Freezing our fruits and veggies allows us to have more of the meals and recipes we enjoy more often during the week, which is always a great thing in my book.
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Welcome!
Comments
I know we struggled to get everything into our freezer from our garden. It makes me sad. The only positive is that we have animals that will eat what we do not get into our freezer and bellies!
I know we don’t get enough fruits and veggies in our house. I have a very picky family.
I LOVE those little STeamfresh veggies. I have them for my lunch a lot. I always have freezer food at the ready for quick and healthy meals.
Freezing is really a healthy way to go with food
I pretty much only buy frozen veggies – I love the steamfresh ones, so easy to get the perfect cooked vegetables with those bags. Frozen single serving meals come in handy many nights when we’re busy or we aren’t all at home for dinner!
I hate wasting food! Even food I bought while fresh, I try to freeze if I know we aren’t going to eat it in time.