The doctor and nutritionist warned people that you may be spending more money than you need to
If you’ve ever bought fresh fruit and veg over frozen because you think it’s better, despite often being more expensive, then you need to stop. According to one nutritionist, there’s almost a “snobbery” around this debate.
Pondering the question whether it’s better to buy fresh or frozen, Doctor Xand asked Rob Hobson, a nutritionist, what the answer is. The expert said: “I think it is a bit of a myth and I don’t know where it comes from.”
Discussing the food topic on the BBC series, Dr Xand’s Con or Cure, he suggested: “It’s a bit of snobbery” with many assuming because it’s cheaper it’s not as good.
He explained: “Fresh is going to be best. It’s packed when it’s harvested, it’s super fresh, it’s really nutritious, it’s going to taste a little bit better when it comes to texture, but there’s nothing wrong with frozen veg and it can be just as nutritious, if not more nutritious in certain situations.”
When it comes to frozen food, he said: “You’re almost pausing the degradation process because you’re freezing it as soon as it’s been harvested. That’s really useful because fresh vegetables, even when they’re transported and then stored in the supermarket and your fridge, they start to lose nutrients.”
Highlighting other benefits, the nutritionist notes that frozen veg is easier to work with as you don’t need to chop anything, and there’s no food waste meaning it’s a “brilliant option.”
He continued: “Apart from being very convenient, it might have more vitamin C and B vitamins because these are the nutrients that leech out. They degrade really easily when they’re exposed to light, air and heat, which can happen when transported.
“If you’re on a budget, you might not have a very varied diet so if you’ve got lots of different vegetables in the freezer that haven’t cost you as much money as fresh, then you could be getting more varied diet as well.”
In response, Dr Xand revealed: “I try to eat a lot more whole foods but it’s very expensive compared to frozen vegetables and it’s also very time-consuming doing all the shopping.
“When I can remember to go to the frozen bit of the supermarket and get frozen fruit and veg it’s convenient, it’s quick, I don’t have to chop it. If I’m making a pot of soup or stew, I can throw in way more frozen veg, almost straight at the end like a handful of peas, sweetcorn, and carrots – something like that – and really have way more vegetables and otherwise would.”
The nutritionist claimed that adding just a single handful of nutritious ingredients to your meals can significantly boost your diet. Simply toss in one extra portion while cooking and it’s the easiest way to improve your nutrition.
“A handful of peas, some spinach in a curry – whatever it is, it’s a really simple way to boost your nutritional intake.” In his conclusion, he summarised: “Fresh is best, but frozen is just as good”.
Asking what he meant, Rob explained: “I feel like you get a wide variety of food and I feel like if you capture at the right time, you’ll get more nutrition”. Dr Xand concluded: “Myth thoroughly busted – and I will be heading to the frozen aisle.”