When you have to prepare and serve a quick meal, frozen foods are the best choice as they are convenient as well as easy to make. Stocking up frozen foods is the best way to save money if you purchase them during sales.
There is a wide range of benefits associated with frozen foods; however, when we think of frozen foods, different questions pop up in our minds like is frozen food healthy? Or Does it contain nutritions? Here is an article with answers to all your questions regarding frozen foods.
Is Frozen Food Healthy?
This is the most common question that comes to our mind when we think of frozen foods. The answer to this question is, ‘Yes frozen food is healthy.’ The act of freezing food does not make it healthy or unhealthy. It depends on the nutritional value of the food that is frozen. For instance, frozen vegetables and fruits are healthy, and they are perfect to meet your daily dose of nutrition. On the other hand, frozen snacks can be quite unhealthy.
Is Fresh Food Healthier as Compared to Frozen Food?
Fresh food is the best unless you have frozen food. Yes, you read it right. Frozen food is healthier as compared to fresh food.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are picked before they are even ripped, then they are packaged, shipped, and finally stocked. It takes days for the food to reach your plate after harvesting. During this time, fruits and vegetables lose most of their vitamins and minerals. On the other hand, frozen fruits and vegetables are harvested when they are at the peak of ripeness, and then they are flash-frozen within a few hours.
Does Frozen Food Contain Nutrition?
The answer to this question is yes. Frozen foods are loaded with nutrition. Freezing foods does not affect the fiber content, calorie count, or the amount of minerals present in them. It might impact a few vitamins like vitamin C or folate.
Most of the nutritional values are maintained during the process of freezing. In addition to this, freezing the foods does not change the amount of sugar, carbohydrates, proteins, or fats.
How to Pick Healthy Frozen Foods?
While purchasing frozen foods, choose the ones that do not contain excess added sugar, high-calorie sauces, or sodium. It sounds easy, but it can be tricky when you are purchasing frozen foods other than vegetables. Below mentioned are some tips for picking healthy frozen foods.
- Opt for plain vegetables, rather than choosing the ones that contain sauces. If you love sauces, then choose the ones that are made with less sodium and fat. Check the nutrition facts label for checking the nutritional value
- Pick fruits that do not contain added sugar or syrup. Also, watch for extra calories in mixes of frozen fruits smoothies as they are made with added sugars
- A little bit of efforts is required to choose frozen meals and snacks that are healthy. Check the labels for the content present in the frozen snacks. Pick foods that are less in sodium, saturated fats, and calories
- Frozen poultry, seafood, fish, and meats are best and healthy if they do not contain any extra ingredients
What are the healthiest frozen dinners to eat?
Here are some of the best-frozen dinners that you can consider to prepare a quick dinner.
Amy’s Brown Rice & Vegetables Bowl
It is an amazing organic frozen food made containing tofu, vegetables, and brown rice. This bowl contains 270mg sodium, 260 calories per bowl, and 36g carb.
365 Quinoa with Vegetables
This bowl offers a simple vegetable mix loaded with 5g protein, 10g sodium, and 3g dietary fiber per 1-cup serving.
Chicken Black Bean
This frozen meal contains 19r protein, 41 grams carbs, and 350 calories. It is the best choice for people having diabetes.
