If you haven't made a trip to down the frozen food aisle of your local grocery store lately, you might be surprised to learn that alongside all the typical low-cost, low-quality TV dinners and ready-to-make pizzas, there's now a wide assortment of high-quality products like wild-caught Alaskan salmon, fiber-filled organic raspberries and lean grass-fed meats. Frozen foods have come a long way; here's a quick guide to which ones are the best choice for a healthy diet:
Fruits
Thanks to advances in worldwide shipping, consumers can now buy virtually any type of fresh fruit regardless of the season. While we'd normally advocate using fresh produce whenever possible, when "fresh" food has traveled thousands of miles and been harvested long before it has naturally ripened (to allow for ripening during transport) we'd rather choose a frozen, organic product instead. Unlike fresh fruits that are shipped long distances, most frozen fruits are flash-frozen within a few hours of harvest which means that the fruit is allowed to ripen naturally, without the use of chemicals or manipulation of carbon dioxide levels during storage.
Vegetables
Unlike fruits, many vegetables are well-suited to long storage periods, especially root veggies like sweet potatoes, turnips and carrots, while nutrient-rich leafy greens tend to have both a short shelf life and their nutritional value degrades quickly; for example, Vitamin C levels decline rapidly in foods like green beans and broccoli which loose between 55-77 percent of their vitamin C content within a week of being harvested. Our advice? When possible, choose fresh, seasonal organic vegetables, supplementing your diet with frozen veggies during the off-seasons. Consider boosting your intake of antioxidant immune-boosting Vitamin C by taking EnergyFirst's Greenergy, High-Potency Vitamin C, or Antioxidant Formula, especially during the winter months when you need added protection against seasonal colds and influenza.
Fish and Seafood
Unless you're lucky enough to live in a waterfront community, chances are that your choices for fresh seafood are limited to whatever your local fishmonger has available, however, even the best fish markets can't compete with the high quality of flash-frozen salmon, halibut and tuna. Just as frozen fruits and vegetables are processed within hours of harvest, most frozen seafood processors freeze their products right on the fishing vessel, locking in vital nutrients like Omega 3s.
And if you're looking for ways to use frozen fruits in your daily diet, consider adding a few flavorful frozen berries to your next serving of Greenergy, Energy First's own green drink powder. By combining naturally-sweet, antioxidant-rich frozen fruits like organic strawberries, raspberries and blueberries in a blender with your green drink mix, you'll be getting a whopping 5 servings of nutrient-packed vegetables in each serving plus the flavor, fiber and vitamins from the frozen berries.
REFERENCES
Eating Well: http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/fresh_vs_frozen_vegetables_are_we_giving_up_nutrition_fo
North Coast Oregon: http://www.northcoastoregon.com/2011/09/26/why-frozen-can-be-better-than-fresh/
Maximizing the Nutritional Value of Fruits and Vegetables: http://morningstarco.com/public/fvp_2.pdf
National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association: http://www.nfraweb.org/promotions/promotion.aspx?PromotionId=58
