Why frozen food is BETTER FOR YOU

Fill your freezer with the right picks and you'll not only save money, you'll eat more healthily too

Spent more time in the freezer aisle recently, searching for bargain foods? You’ll be pleased to hear that some frozen products are even healthier than their fresh counterparts. ‘The nutritional value of some fresh fruit and vegetables deteriorates rapidly after harvest, and also during storage on supermarket shelves and in our kitchens,’ says registered nutritionist Dr Tanja Harrison from the University of Chester. ‘Frozen foods, however, are harvested when they’re at their ripest and often nutritionally at their best.’

So, if you can steer clear of the high-sugar-frozen desserts and high-fat frozen oven foods (such as burgers and chips), your freezer could help you eat a balanced diet, even when you’re on a budget.

Choose wisely

So which foods are healthier when eaten from the freezer? This all depends on the type of nutrients they contain. ‘In fresh produce, vitamin C levels in some fruit and veg, such as peas and spinach, reduce over time due to oxidation,’ says nutritionist Jenna Hope. This means vitamin C-rich broccoli, cauliflower and strawberries may be better bought frozen if you want to gain maximum health benefits from this antioxidant – which may help to reduce inflammation and prevent disease.