TLC In The Kitchen

I used to think that everything had to be fresh.  I would chop all the vegetables for a stir-fry, soup or stew, but that can take a lot of time, now matter how good you are with a knife.  Now I take advantage of the fact that I can get some of the work done for me.  For convenience and saving time, frozen fruits and vegetables make the grade.

When it comes to good nutrition, all forms of fruits and vegetables matter-fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice  but, there is evidence to show that frozen vegetables have almost the nutritional value of fresh.  In 1998, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed that frozen fruits and vegetables provide the same essential nutrients and health benefits as fresh.

Frozen fruits and vegetables are nothing more than fruits and vegetables picked at the peak of freshness and blanched (cooked for a short time in boiling water) then frozen within hours of being picked, preserving nature’s nutritional value at a higher percentage than fresh. Freezing vegetables quickly locks in quality and nutrients while fresh vegetables steadily lose nutrients once they are harvested. Frozen vegetables may contain more, or at the very least have the same, nutrients as fresh vegetables. Dr. Barbara Klein, a professor of food and nutrition at the University of Illinois, found that after three days in a freezer, frozen green beans contain twice as much vitamin C as fresh green beans that spent the same amount of time in a display case.

Now I take advantage of all the wonderful frozen fruits and vegetables available.  I love the stir-fry blends at our local grocery store.  The green beans are perfectly cut every time!  You can even get pre-chopped onions, green peppers or potatoes.  Then I combine the frozen vegetables with a few fresh one and voila’!  Dinner is served in no time.