photo credit: Sam Judge | www.samjudgephotography.com
Have you dealt with throwing away vegetables because by the time you got around to using them, they have gone bad? Sometimes it can be difficult to keep fresh vegetables stocked in the fridge. Before we know it, they begin wilting and it becomes too late to use them. One way to combat this is to shop more often for vegetables so that they are fresh when you're ready to eat them. The problem with this is that most of us don't have the time to shop more than once or twice a week.
A better option is to add frozen vegetables to your shopping list. I have recently started to shop for frozen vegetables. There are actually some benefits to using frozen veggies:
- Nutritional content is as high (sometimes higher) than fresh vegetables
- Picked at their peak of freshness
- Frozen within hours of being picked
- Can save cooking time
- May be cheaper to buy
It's always great to buy and use fresh produce when you can, particularly organic and locally grown. However, purchasing organic and locally isn't an option for everyone, which means shopping at the nearest supermarket. Keep in mind that some fresh vegetables often travel a long way before reaching your supermarket. This means that they have more than likely lost their nutritional benefits.
Keeping frozen vegetables in stock in your freezer can be convenient and even more nutritious than purchasing fresh.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
When I was at the store last week it dawned on me your same observations. I wanted to make mashed cauliflower but the fresh was very expensive. As I was getting some other veggies out of the frozen section I spied frozen cauliflower! Ding, Ding, Ding! It was much cheaper and if I didn’t have time to make it, would be frozen and ready to go when I was ready for it.
I am tired of wasting fresh veggies before I can eat them. Already frozen is a great economical option.
Thanks for your feedback, Anne. I don’t know how many fresh vegetables I’ve wasted until realizing I should keep frozen ones in stock. It is a good option for me as well.
This is a good reminder for people who may have forgotten or didn’t realize frozen may be a better option. I’ve even frozen my own fresh veggies on occasion to preserve them for the following week.
Thanks, Michele. I think frozen vegetables may still have a reputation of not being as healthy.
In addition to frozen veggies, I picked up several packages of frozen blackeyed peas, which I absolutely love. This is a great option if you want to avoid the canned variety and do not have time to prepare the dried variety.
I love frozen produce! It doesn’t have the added salt of canned and I can get the stuff I love year-round, especially blueberries–yum!