You want to add more fruit and veg into your diet, but you find it takes too long to prepare and cook vegetables every single day.
Everyone tells you that frozen and canned vegetables are no good and don’t contain any nutrients, so a lot of the time you end up not having any vegetables at all.
Let’s explore the reality behind the fresh vs frozen vs canned debate, and what truly is the best option.
The basics
Before we go any further with fresh vs frozen vs canned, let’s get a few things clear:
- Fruit and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet
- A lot of people do not eat enough fruit and vegetables
- Fruit and vegetables in any form are better than consuming none at all
In a 2009 report, the WHO (World Health Organisation) actually listed “low fruit and vegetable intake” in their 19 leading risk factors to health. That gives you an indication of just how serious the issue is.
The fresh vs frozen vs canned debate
You may hear people say that you should only buy fresh fruit and veg, as the frozen and canned varieties lose all their nutrients during processing and therefore aren’t worth eating.
THIS IS A MYTH.
A 2017 study showed that there are limited nutritional differences between fresh and frozen produce. In fact, in some cases, fresh produce that was stored in the fridge for a few days actually had a lower nutritional content than its frozen counterpart.
Canned fruit and vegetables undergo more processing than frozen, which does impact the nutrient content. However they do still contain nutrients, so IT IS STILL MUCH BETTER TO EAT CANNED FRUIT AND VEGETABLES THAN NONE AT ALL.
Fresh: the pros, the cons and the best uses
Fresh fruit and veg will either be “postharvest ripened” (meaning it finishes ripening during transport) or “vine ripened” (meaning it is picked when it is ripe).
The quicker you eat the produce you have bought, the higher the nutritional content will be. If you leave that bag of spinach in the fridge for 2 days it will lose around 75% of its vitamin C content.
The pros of fresh fruit and veg
- Flavour – there is no beating the flavour of a product that’s been grown locally and is in season
- Texture – depending on the item, the texture can be far superior when it’s fresh. Berries, cauliflower, broccoli are some example where the texture is best when fresh
- Option to eat raw – some recipes need fresh produce: crisp salads, chopped raw veggies with hummus, coleslaw, fruit platters
- Variety – this will be dependent on where you live. Here in Switzerland there is quite a limited choice of frozen vegetables in comparison to fresh
The cons of fresh fruit and veg
- Price – fresh fruit and veg are often more expensive than frozen or canned (especially if you buy pre-chopped fresh varieties)
- Shelf life – fresh produce needs to be used relatively quickly and in order to maintain the highest level of nutrition should be eaten as soon as possible. This means you need to shop more often
- Preparation – unless you buy pre-chopped fruit and veg, the prep required to get it ready for use can be a big con
- Food waste – whether it is due to forgotten produce in the fridge or from the preparation of chopping and discarding all the bits you won’t eat; fresh fruit and veg can lead to more food waste
The best uses of fresh fruit and veg
If you have time for the prep and will use the produce soon after buying it, then fresh is always a good option.
Below are example of dishes when fresh particularly makes sense, or are the only option (for example in raw dishes):
- Salads
- Raw dishes and snacks
- Mixed veggie side dishes
- Fruit platters
Frozen: the pros, the cons and the best uses
Frozen fruit and veg are often fully ripened before being harvested. In most cases they are blanched in hot water for a few minutes before freezing.
The pros of frozen fruit and veg
- Price – frozen fruit and veg are often cheaper than fresh
- Shelf life – frozen produce can be stored for a long time (around 8-12 months), this makes it much more convenient than fresh varieties which need to be consumed very quickly
- Preparation – frozen fruit and veg are chopped and ready to go, saving a ton of time in the kitchen
- Food waste – as the shelf life is so much longer and the chopping is already done, food waste is greatly reduced with frozen options
The cons of frozen fruit and veg
- Flavour – the flavour just isn’t as good as fresh products
- Texture – due to the blanching process, the texture of frozen fruit and veg tends to be not as good as fresh. Be careful not to overcook frozen veg, as this can make it particularly mushy
- Beware of added salt and sauces – some frozen varieties have salt, flavourings or sauces added. Avoid these as they will add unnecessary salt into your diet
The best uses of frozen fruit and veg
As the flavour and texture can be compromised, frozen veg are not always the most preferred option for stand-alone side dishes, but never rule them out!
The below dishes work well with frozen fruit and veg:
- Curries
- Stir fries
- Soups
- Smoothies
- Casseroles
- Roasted veggies
- Desserts: cakes, crumbles and pies
Canned: the pros, the cons and the best uses
Canned fruit and veg are also usually fully ripened before harvest. They are heated at high temperatures and the amount of time needed is different for each food. It depends on the acidity food’s density and ability to transfer heat.
The pros of canned fruit and veg
- Price – canned fruit and veg are generally the cheapest option
- Shelf life – according to the USDA, high-acid produce such as fruit and tomatoes have the best quality for 18 months, low-acid foods such as meat and vegetables for 2-5 years. It even suggests that they can be safely used indefinitely! The nutritional content, taste and texture will diminish over time though
- Preparation – canned produce doesn’t need much (or sometimes any) prep – maybe just a quick rinse under water or squeezing out the excess liquid, depending on the product
- Food waste – as the shelf life is so much longer and the chopping is already done, food waste is greatly reduced with canned options
The cons of canned fruit and veg
- Flavour – the flavour isn’t as good as fresh or frozen products
- Texture – due to the canning process, the texture tends to be mushier than fresh or frozen
- Beware of added salt and syrups– some canned products varieties have a sorts of things added to them: salt, flavourings, syrups. If possible, avoid these as they will add unnecessary salt and sugar into your diet
The best uses of canned fruit and veg
The same applies here as with frozen: the flavour and texture can be compromised. Canned veg are probably not the best option for a simple stand- alone veg side dish, but they still have their place, especially given the price and convenience!
The below dishes work well with canned fruit and veg:
- Curries
- Stir fries
- Soups
- Smoothies
- Casseroles
- Desserts: cakes, crumbles and pies
Cooking method will have a bigger impact on the nutritional value
What can have a greater impact on the final nutritional value is how you cook the vegetables.
Of course, it’s not as simple as “do this” and “don’t do that”, as studies have shown that results vary depending on which vegetable you are cooking and which vitamin you are testing.
For example one study showed the release of vitamin A varied between broccoli and red peppers, even when using the same cooking method. To make matters even more complicated there was even a difference between fresh and frozen broccoli!
In general steaming is a good option for preserving nutrients. Just add some herbs, spices or a bit of good quality oil to your steamed veggies once they are cooked to make them a bit more interesting.
Recommendations
First thing’s first:
- Eat a minimum of 5 portions of fruit and veg everyday (regardless of the form or the cooking method)
- Fresh / frozen / canned fruit or vegetables
- Fruit and veg cooked into dishes (such as soups, casseroles and pasta dishes)
- Dried fruit
- Juices and smoothies
- Beans and pulses
Once this is a habit, THEN you can consider some of the following:
- Eat more vegetables than fruit
- Enjoy whole fruit and veg most of the time, rather than only juices, smoothies or dried fruit
- Use a variety of cooking methods (steam, sauté, roast, stir fry, raw)
- Choose frozen and canned produce with no added salt or sauces where possible (if there is added salt in your canned food, give it a good rinse in cold water before you cook it)
- Choose canned fruit in natural juice rather than added syrup
Conclusion
Getting enough fruit and veg into our diet can be hard. Add in the fresh vs frozen vs canned AND the “best cooking method” debate and you might be ready to give up.
My recommendation for most people: focus on the most important thing first – eat enough fruit and vegetables, regardless of which form and how they are cooked.
That means a MINIMUM of 5 portions of fruit and veg each and every day.
Is the nutritional value impacted by different storing and cooking methods? Yes. But you will still always get more nutrition if you eat canned peas and carrots as a side dish instead of frozen French fries.
Don’t make life more complicated than it needs to be. Start with the basics. Make fruit and veg of all varieties a habit in your life. Do you already eat enough fruit and veg? How do you make sure you get your 5 a day?