Is Frozen Food Healthy? The Benefits of Frozen Food For Your Health And Wallet

Supermarkets isles have large freezers packed with frozen fruits and vegetables, frozen ready meals, pies, meats, sides and desserts. 

Many of us just pass near them, wondering if they are worth buying. According to food and nutrition experts, there are many reasons you should start using them in your kitchen, especially frozen foods made with plants!

Plant-based frozen food is healthy

Fresh produce is picked before it matures and may lose value as time passes during the long transport; exposed to light and different temperatures, it may lose its nutritional power and flavour before it arrives in your kitchen. 

How it's frozen food made? Fresh produce (fruits and veggies) is picked when it's mature at peak quality and froze just hours after harvesting, which means all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals are sealed in the product.  

When handled properly, the products travel completely frozen to the shop and then straight to your freezer, which means the products don't lose any nutritional value even when travelling long distances. 

Frozen veggies and fruits maintain all the nutritional values for a very long time. They are a very healthy option that can replace fresh produce, especially in winter and early spring when many veggies and fruits are out of season.

Although plant-based foods are usually healthier than their non-vegan counterparts, remember that not all frozen plant-based products are superfoods. Some of them may have added ingredients that are not necessarily good for you. If you buy frozen fries (precooked in oil) or ready meals full of salt and frozen desserts packed with palm oil and sugar, that doesn't count. Just check the frozen food ingredients, pay attention to sodium, avoid additives and sweeteners, and double-check if the frozen product was well handled. 

Cooking with frozen food is convenient

If you follow a hectic lifestyle, spend many hours at work, studying, raising kids and have very little time for cooking, your freezer is your best friend in the kitchen! 

Cooking with frozen food will save a lot of your precious time. Whether it's veggies or plant-based meat, the products are always prepared in portions, already cut, often washed (when needed) and ready to be placed in the pot or a microwave. This means the meal prep and cooking time is much shorter! It is estimated that the cooking time of frozen food is between 40% to 80% quicker than cooking with fresh produce. And the meals are the same way delicious!

Just stock up your freezer with some amazing plant-based goodies and enjoy a stress-free life!

Frozen food is cheaper

Buying frozen foods can help you save money while still providing a great variety on your menu. 

Since frozen products can be stored for months without spoiling, they are definitely a wallet-friendly option. You can enjoy them for a long time, and you don't have to worry they will go off before you consume them. 

A bag of frozen fruits is cheaper than its fresh equivalent. Fruits such as berries, mangoes, pineapple and other exotic fruits cost less frozen, which is related to less waste during the production process. 

Some veggies are peeled when frozen, which means they may lose up to 40% weight during the manufacturing process. You pay only for the best part of them! 

Meat alternatives are also cheaper when frozen. Some brands offer budget-friendly bulk packages available only in frozen versions of the product. Plant-based meat and fish bulk packs can be even 25% less expensive than their chilled single portion counterparts. 

Recently, more and more brands in the UK are launching new plant-based ready meals. Made with frozen veggies, they are nutritious and full of flavour. They cost less than if you bought all the ingredients separately. They can be 50% cheaper than fresh ready meals or takeaways, if not more. They are also getting healthier, containing less sugar, salt, preservatives and sodium.