Veggies going off in the fridge? Try frozen veggies!
10 May 2010

You should always have plenty of fresh fruit and veggies in your diet, but sometimes it's hard to get your fruit and veg fresh, or eat them before they go off.

Some people believe that frozen veggies are less nutritious, but freezing is actually a very efficient method of preserving the nutritional value, texture and flavour of many vegetables.

Most vitamins keep well in frozen vegetables, and carotene (a compound that is converted to vitamin A in the body) may actually be better preserved in frozen veggies. Frozen peas have about 60% more carotene than fresh peas. When they are not frozen they are often exposed to light which destroys the carotene.

Another good tip about keeping the nutrition in your veggies is to steam them or cook them in the microwave. Boiling in large amounts of water can reduce the nutritional value. If you are boiling frozen veggies, add the food straight to water that is already boiling and cook only for a short time. Don't leave them simmering for long periods.

For more reading, check out our topic Healthy eating.

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