THESE 5 FROZEN FOODS ARE OFTEN HEALTHIER THAN FRESH – HERE’S WHY

When we talk about frozen food, we often think about 'backup' meals: frozen pizzas, fish fingers, that one reduced ready meal you bought a year ago and forgot about. In some cases, this has led people to think that all frozen foods are the ‘lazier’, less healthy option compared to their fresher counterparts – including frozen veggies.

‘Some people assume frozen vegetables are inferior to fresh produce due to perceptions of reduced quality, taste, and texture, as well as concerns about nutrient loss during the freezing process,’ says gut health expert Gemma Stuart, the founder of health platform Gut Wealth. ‘But frozen vegetables are often more or equally nutritious and often retain more nutrients than fresh produce that's taken longer to get to your kitchen.’

Why are some frozen foods more nutritious?

Ultimately, Stuart says, fruit and vegetables are most nutritious when freshly picked. However, ‘because most of us aren't living garden-to-table lifestyles, relying on seasonal and frozen foods is a great way to keep getting your 30 plant points per week,’ she explains. Sadly, I am not yet living out my cottage-by-the-sea with a vegetable garden dream, so I’m all ears.

‘Often, fruit and veg are picked before they are ripe, so they can ripen on the journey by land, sea, or air to get to us via the supermarket. This can take anything from a couple of days to a number of weeks, and they're often stored chilled to make sure they don't spoil before arriving on the shelf,’ says Stuart. Frozen fruit and veg, on the other hand, are ‘picked at peak ripeness and then frozen, locking in all the lovely nutrients and flavour’.

‘Some people assume frozen vegetables are inferior to fresh produce due to perceptions of reduced quality, taste, and texture, as well as concerns about nutrient loss during the freezing process,’ adds Stuart. ‘But frozen vegetables are often more or equally nutritious and often retain more nutrients than fresh produce that's taken longer to get to your kitchen.’

5 frozen foods to stock up on

Spinach

Low in calories, high in fibre, and rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as iron, folate, and potassium, when bought fresh, spinach can often have a very short shelf life and go to waste in the fridge. ‘Freezing spinach allows it to be added in handfuls to curries and stews, as spinach's nutritional value is enhanced by cooking because it helps break down oxalic acid – a compound that can interfere with the absorption of essential nutrients like iron and calcium,’ explains Stuart.

Peas

Protein-rich and full of vitamins A, C and K, plus fibre and folate, peas are better frozen due to the fact they lose their nutritional value rapidly from when they are picked. ‘It's much better to choose frozen peas unless you're growing them at home yourself,’ says Stuart. ‘Light steaming or boiling peas from frozen keeps nutrient losses minimal, and cooking actually improves digestibility and makes antioxidants more bioavailable.’

Berries

We already know how great berries are for your health. Recommended as part of the so-called Methylation Diet (which is said to help reverse biological ageing), berries are full of all the good stuff: vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibre. Freezing berries as soon as possible after harvesting can help preserve their original nutritional value, says Stuart, ‘and they are often more affordable than fresh berries, especially out of season, making them a convenient and nutritious choice year-round’.

Sweetcorn

A good source of folate (vitamin B9), thiamine (vitamin B1), vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium, Stuart says sweetcorn is usually better frozen or canned, mostly simply because the picking season is so short. Also, she explains that ‘steaming frozen corn also helps improve the bioavailability of antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin, which support eye and skin health’.

Avocado

Ever treat yourself to some ripen-at-home avos, only to forget about them at the back of the fridge while they do their thing – rediscovering them when it’s too late? Same. Well, good news for us, as Stuart says frozen avocados offer many of the same health benefits as when fresh, ‘including healthy fats, fibre, and vitamins – while also being convenient’. While some water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C might decrease, freezing won’t significantly affect their calorie, fibre, or mineral content, explains Stuart.

Adding frozen avo to smoothies and blended sauces is also a great way to incorporate more nutrients into your meals.

Wasted, mouldy avos no more!

2025-06-09T13:52:42Z