Happy Friday my friend – hope it's been a strong week on your end.
I have a question for you.
Do you always prefer fresh fruits and vegetables over their frozen counterparts?
I wouldn't blame you if you staunchly preferred the former – I also used to as well.
It seems that fresh fruits and vegetables – as tasty and nutritious as they are – have been painted as the only solution when it comes to produce.
And over the years, I've come to believe this to just not be true.
If you're skeptical about frozen fruits and vegetables and don't feel that they have any value, then this is the email for you.
So read on for 3 reasons as to why frozen fruits and vegetables should absolutely make it into your rotation on a weekly basis.
They are cost-effective
This is probably one of the main reasons I am a big advocate for frozen fruits and vegetables.
They often come with a lower price point – which for many people can be very beneficial.
I load up on them and just keep them in the freezer - frozen broccoli, frozen spinach, various types of frozen berries and more – and they provide me with amazing value for money.
Not to mention that for those trying to lean into healthier lifestyle changes on a budget, frozen fruits and vegetables are really useful.
They are flash-frozen at harvest to preserve nutrients
This has always been the accusation levelled at frozen fruits and vegetables: that they aren't as nutrient-dense.
This just isn't true.
Frozen fruits and vegetables are often immediately frozen at harvest, meaning that their nutritional composition is preserved.
I did some digging into the scientific archives and found a study from 2010 titled The effect of long-term frozen storage on the nutraceutical compounds, antioxidantproperties and color indices of different kinds of berries.
Those against frozen fruits and vegetables from a nutrient standpoint would be interested to know about this study, which looked at frozen storage of various berries and its effect on the nutritional components.
It showed that after 4 months of storage, there was NO significant degradation of the nutritional properties of the various berries - indicating that by buying frozen berries we don't lose any of those health-promoting compounds that we love.
They are versatile
I love the versatility of frozen fruits and vegetables; I don't feel like I'm limited in terms of what I can do with them.
I chuck them in yoghurt bowls, smoothies, soups and stews, and from a convenience standpoint these offer a great nutrient hit – with relatively low effort.
They offer you an opportunity to pack nutrients into various dishes without having to think too much or take too much action. It's convenience but done in a healthy manner.
Let's give frozen fruits and vegetables the respect they deserve.
This is not an attempt to pitch one against the other – both have huge value on your personal quest for great health – but hopefully these three reasons will encourage you to get more of the frozen stuff into your diet, and reap their unique benefits.
Stay healthy,
Jeffrey
PS. My friend Malcolm Regisford (who I recorded a collaboration post with on Instagram at the end of last year) has recently dropped his new book 'Tapped In Wellness'! It's a resource to help you lean into performance, health and mindful living with plant-based food at the core.
Malcolm hasn't paid me to say this, I just think he's a really cool guy and we connected well when he came to London. I love when friends are putting out great work that I believe can impact the lives of others, so I thought it's something worth sharing that you might want to check out too.
If you're based in the UK you can check out the book here (launching on 20 September in the UK), and if you're across the pond in the States you can grab it now.