Frozen vegetables ‘more nutritious than fresh vegetables’, says report

Frozen vegetables can often contain more nutrients than fresh vegetables, a report has claimed. Up to 45 per cent of important nutrients are lost in fresh vegetable by the time they are consumed. It can take up to two weeks for fresh produce to reach the table from being picked although the survey found that 80 per cent of shoppers thought the fresh vegetables in supermarkets were less than four days old.

Produce which is frozen soon after being picked with have more nutrients sealed in, scientists from the Institute of Food Research claimed. Meanwhile after 16 days green beans have lost 45 per cent of nutrients, broccoli and cauliflower 25 per cent, garden peas up to 15 per cent and carrots 10 per cent.

The research was carried out by the Institute on behalf of Birds Eye the frozen food manufacturer.

Nutritionist Dr Sarah Schenker said: « The nutritional content of fresh vegetables begins to deteriorate from the minute they are picked. This means that by the time they end up on our plate, although we may think we’re reaping the vegetable’s full nutritionalb enefits, this is often not the case. »

Source : telegraph