Freeze the midweek meal meltdown.
Gone are the days of frozen vegetables being the dark sheep of the home cooking game.
Innovations in food processing technology, a new understanding of nutrients and healthy eating and a growing awareness of food waste have all influenced the market for frozen vegetables.
I thought frozen was unhealthy.
Nope – For many reasons, frozen is perfectly fine, healthy, and beneficial.
First of all, how often do you buy and cook fresh peas? Well, a frozen pea is better than no pea. In fact, frozen peas are much better than fresh ones, because they get flash frozen withing a couple of hours from being harvested. So called “fresh” peas are usually nearly a week old when they reach your shopping basket. The same goes for baby carrots, sweetcorn, and cauliflower.
Frozen fights waste.
You know the bag of fresh green beans in the bag of your fridge’s veggie drawer? Or the “steaming” bag of broccoli that’s just lying there, gently decomposing, and wafting that distinct brassica smell through the fridge? Unless you are planning on eating that TONIGHT, chances are they’ll be chucked in the bin by the weekend. With frozen vegetables you don’t have this problem. Most frozen veggies can be kept in your freezer for anywhere from 3 to 12(!) months, and even then, they might lose a bit of taste or texture, but you should still be able to add them to soups and stews.
For a list of frozen food pro’s and con’s, click here.
Frozen food is processed, but not in the bad sense.
We hear a lot about the health risks of frozen foods, but this relates to ready meals, processed meats, and other types of already cooked frozen food. Buying basic frozen vegetables is not the same as processed and therefore unhealthy food. Its best to check the labels before you buy but frozen veggies do not contain added sugar or sodium, so they have all the goodness of fresh without the fuss.
Frosty smoothies are just better!
Generally, frozen fruit should not be thawed and eaten raw. While it’s not necessarily bad for you, it’s just not very tasty. Some of the fruit that is best frozen are all kinds of berries. This allows you to enjoy them all year round, without paying those exorbitant imported fruit prices at your local grocer. Frozen berries also end the need to add ice to your smoothy, watering it down. (And who likes a room temperature smoothie anyway?)
The science supports this.
There have been numerous studies supporting these claims, and even though there might be a slight decrease in the nutritional value of some frozen foods, that decrease is seen as negligible compared to the overall benefits of eating any type of vegetable at all.
To hear more about what the smart people have to say, read on:
The foodies are onboard!
The stigma around eating and even serving frozen food to your guests is quickly disappearing. Celebrity chefs like Nadia Hussein, have been using them in her meals for ages. She is all about quick, healthy, and home cooked meals to help normal people get through the week without hitting the drive through. Her home made instant noodle recipe has been a game changer in my household.
Other chefs have been vocal about the uses and benefits of frozen vegetables as well, and advocate using them in anything from stir-fries and soups to roasted in salads and even steamed plain for side dishes.
Its time to stop sticking up our noses at the frozen veggies in the freezer isle and just rushing over to the fishfingers and ice cream. Frozen can be fantastic!
Can canned join the party as well?
Canned produce is a little bit different, because the canning and cooking process often requires all kinds of additives that might not be super good for you. This by no means kicks cans out of the running for quick food hacks, it just means you have to read the labels more carefully and make informed decisions. Canned beans and pulses in particular are a great way to add the nutritional benefits of beans to your mid week meals. I have been eating home made lentil soup for years and I have never in my life soaked or cooked a dry lentil…The same goes for making Hummus – I have never cooked a chickpea. Tortillas, tacos’ and other South American food? I eat black beans. I don’t cook black beans.
The long and the short of it is:
Takeaways aren’t great, meal services are fussy and break the budget. Home cooking is still the most affordable and sustainable way of maintaining a healthy diet (and budget), so why not drop the pretence and make your life easier. One can or freezer bag at a time.
