There is always much debate whether which type of vegetable is more nutritious, the fresh or the frozen? The answer would depend on how we define a “fresh” vegetable. A fresh produce such as vegetables should be bought or cooked on the day it was picked. Early morning would be the best time to pick fresh vegetables in the backyard or farm. What we see in the grocery stores are vegetables picked weeks before you bought it. They have been seating in carriers for days so that they can be transported from where you are buying them. Generally, “fresh” vegetables you find in the grocery stores are not really that fresh.
When vegetables are stored way too long, oftentimes their nutritional value is diminished and they are not already in their best ripe form. Nutrients have long been gone especially when the produce are packed with salt and many other preservatives to keep the “freshness” in. How the vegetables being prepared at home would greatly affect its nutritional value. The more you heat the vegetables, the more the nutrients will diminish. Heat would cause protein breakdowns that would result to loss of nutrients and water.
Frozen vegetables are frozen the moment they are picked in their best form or ripeness. The moment it is frozen, all the nutritional content are being frozen too, thus keeping the healthy nutrients in the vegetable while it is being transported to different places. Overcooking the frozen vegetable should never be done since it will allow nutrients to escape from the produce. It should be cooked with the right temperature and duration.
Vegetables straight from the garden are the freshest vegetables, but the problem is, not everyone has access to fresh vegetables. The frozen vegetables are the best option for fresh vegetable in the market. It may differ a little when it comes to the test and texture but the nutritional value stays the same.