Climatic conditions, in which we live, do not allow us to enjoy freshly picked vegetables and fruits all year round. Therefore, in the off-season we have to be content with imported or frozen fruits. Which ones are preferable? Some believe that there is no benefit from frozen vegetables and fruits, while others, on the contrary, are convinced that these products can be a real salvation for the body. Let's try to figure out how things are.

Historical reference

In general, the idea of ​​freezing food did not arise yesterday: residents of northern countries have long preserved freshly caught fish in this way. It was laid out on ice; under a strong icy wind, the catch quickly froze and could be stored for a long time (in the cold, of course). American inventor, entrepreneur and naturalist Clarence Frank Birdseye, while on an expedition to the Canadian Labrador Peninsula in 1912, drew attention to this method of preserving food and decided to test it in action upon returning home to New York. Birdseye made artificial ice and conducted a series of experiments. The scientist discovered that when frozen slowly, large ice crystals form in food, which destroy tissue, and after thawing, the taste of such food leaves much to be desired. But if cooling occurs quickly, the quality of the product does not suffer. Birdseye acquired a patent for his invention, sold it to General Foods for $22 million in 1929, and the first frozen vegetables appeared in stores in 1930.

Vegetables are "shocked"

Just a few decades ago, producers simply placed the fruits in a huge freezer for several hours. Nowadays they use another, more quick method, which is called blast freezing. It allows you to preserve in vegetables and fruits, mushrooms and berries maximum amount valuable nutrients, as well as taste and attractive appearance. The fruits are placed in chambers with a temperature of minus 35–40°C and blown with streams of cold air for 20–30 minutes. In this way, vegetables and fruits are frozen very quickly, small ice crystals are formed in them, which do not destroy the tissue structure.

Isn’t it better to freeze the fruits of the summer harvest at home, you ask? Let us answer directly: no, not better. The fact is that household freezers cannot provide the necessary conditions for rapid freezing. The temperature will drop gradually, the juice will turn into large ice crystals, cell membranes will be damaged and the lion's share of nutrients will be lost.

Frozen or fresh?

Now let's return to the dispute we outlined at the very beginning. So which vegetables are healthier: fresh or frozen? If by “fresh” we mean those collected at your dacha, they are undoubtedly better than store-bought ones. But with stores, the situation is different. According to recent studies by both our and foreign scientists, frozen vegetables contain significantly more nutrients than their “fresh” counterparts coming from countries of “eternal summer”. When frozen, fruits lose less vitamins and minerals than during long-term transportation. In addition, it is no secret that vegetables and fruits (usually unripe!) are treated with all sorts of chemicals before being sent on a long journey so that the food does not spoil.

However, not everything is so rosy with frozen fruits. They may contain both dyes (which unscrupulous manufacturers may “forget” to write about on the label) and GMOs. How critical this is - judge for yourself. This is what he told us Andrey Mosov, head of the expert direction of NP Roskontrol, doctor:

Theoretically, GMOs may appear in mixtures that include vegetables for which genetically modified analogues exist and are cultivated on an industrial scale: soybeans, corn, potatoes, tomatoes. These ingredients are most likely to be found in mixtures containing soybean sprouts or corn. There is nothing wrong with this, but the manufacturer is obliged to disclose the presence of GMOs in the product labeling. Much more important for the consumer is information about nutritional value, botanical variety of fruit or vegetable crop and the region of its growth. Indication of such information in the labeling always speaks in favor of the manufacturer, being an indirect sign of his good faith.

Choose wisely

If we are talking about frozen fruits in packaging, then preference should be given famous brands- they care about their reputation, so they are more attentive to the selection of raw materials and control at each stage of production.

The temperature of the freezer where the fruits are located should be no more than –18°C. If bags of vegetables, fruits or berries are covered with frost, it means that the temperature regime is not being maintained, which, again, affects the quality of the product.

Feel the packaging (it should be intact, without tears or scratches). If you feel ice blocks at hand, refuse to purchase: such a product has been defrosted and re-frozen, which means you will not get any pleasure or benefit from such vegetables and fruits. The marking must contain full information about the contents and manufacturer, composition, freezing method (it is better to choose quick-frozen or prepared by blast freezing), as well as the presence of GMOs.

Is it worth purchasing loose frozen vegetables, fruits, and berries? It is difficult to answer this question unambiguously. On the one hand, in this case you clearly see what you are going to buy. On the other hand, unfortunately, it is impossible to be sure of the freshness of products of this kind, even if tags indicating the date of packaging are attached to the trays.

And finally, let’s note that you should purchase frozen vegetables before you get ready to go to the checkout. It’s better if they “arrive” home in a cooler bag. And immediately put frozen food in the freezer! At a temperature of –6°C they can be stored for 1–2 weeks, at –12°C for 4–6 weeks, and at –18°C for up to 1 year.

How and what to cook

Remember that frozen vegetables should not be washed. And there is no need to defrost them before cooking. The best way to really get healthy dish- quickly boil vegetables in a small amount of water or steam. Immerse them in boiling water while frozen and season them just before eating. Vegetables can simply be salted and peppered, poured with vegetable or melted butter, one sauce or another, sprinkle with grated cheese or chopped herbs.

Today, there are many frozen vegetables available in stores. But is it worth buying them? This article will tell you what frozen vegetables bring to the body, benefit or harm.

Frozen vegetables or imported fresh?

Austrian scientists have proven that frozen vegetables, such as peas, beans, cauliflower, carrots and corn, contain more vitamins than those imported from warm countries fresh vegetables.

Frozen vegetables for weight loss

Thanks to some research, diets have emerged based on frozen vegetables. Such diets are especially relevant in winter, when there is no access to fresh natural vegetables. While following such a nutritional system, it is enough to eat 2 servings of stewed vegetables, one of which replaces dinner. Such a diet is effective only if high-calorie foods, sweets and starchy foods are excluded.

When vegetables are quickly frozen, the vitamin composition remains virtually unchanged. Only the level decreases ascorbic acid– vitamin C. And vitamins B1 and B2 remain completely in frozen foods. How many calories are in frozen vegetables depends on the calorie content of the fresh product. Most vegetables contain relatively little a large number of calories. The freezing process makes virtually no changes to the calorie content of vegetable products, and on average it is 50 kcal.

The benefits of quality frozen vegetables

There is no need to wash such vegetables and with their help you can quickly prepare a variety of dishes. These vegetables are low in calories, so they can be used in dietary nutrition. If you buy vegetables not in bags, but by weight, you can combine them with fresh vegetables and herbs, such as onions, carrots, dill and parsley.

How to cook vegetables correctly?

The benefits of frozen vegetables will be less if they are reheated or stored for a long time. Ready vegetable dishes It should be stored for no more than three hours. Therefore, it is better to cook from frozen vegetables for one-time use. Boiled vegetables retain more vitamins than fried ones. It is better to salt a vegetable dish not immediately, but 10 minutes before it is ready. This way, more minerals will be retained in the products.

Contraindications for frozen vegetables

The main harm that frozen vegetables can cause is not the frozen product itself, but the food additives that some manufacturers use to prepare them. When undergoing industrial freezing, vegetables are subject to heat treatment. As a result, they lose their attractive bright color. In order to restore color and make the taste brighter, manufacturers use food additives.

Frozen vegetable mixture is a set of peeled and processed vegetables that have undergone shock or regular freezing. The blanks have a long shelf life - from 6 months to one and a half years. During the freezing process, vegetables retain vitamins and nutrients without losing their taste.

Types of frozen vegetable mixtures

Depending on the composition of the vegetable set, mixtures are divided into several types:

• Homogeneous. The frozen mixture contains only one ingredient.
• Assorted. The mixture consists of several types of vegetables.
• Ready meals. Another name for such mixtures is semi-finished products. The composition contains the necessary set of products for preparing a specific dish.

Composition of frozen vegetable mixture

Lecho:

• tomato;
• zucchini;
• carrot;
• paprika or any sweet pepper.

Mexican:

• carrot;
• green beans;
• peas,
• corn;
• celery;
• red beans;
• pepper.

Hawaiian:

• corn;
• green pea;
• pepper.

Güvech:

• okra;
• eggplant;
• Bell pepper;
• tomato;

Ratatouille:

• tomato;
• zucchini;
• Bell pepper;
• zucchini;

Paprikash:

• pepper;
• zucchini;
• green bean;
• tomato;

Frozen vegetable mixtures: benefits and harms

During freezing, all the beneficial substances found in vegetables and herbs are preserved. All mixtures contain everything necessary for a person vitamins and microelements. Both fresh and frozen vegetables contain vitamins B and C, potassium, calcium, and other useful substances.

All frozen vegetable mixtures help improve appetite and improve performance digestive system and normalize metabolism.

Frozen mixed vegetables are not harmful. They save you from vitamin deficiency and improve immunity. If you have an individual intolerance to one of the products, you should carefully study the composition of the mixture or make it yourself.

All mixtures are low-calorie. They are suitable for dietary and baby food.

How to prepare frozen mixed vegetables

At home, you can independently invent and make various combinations of vegetables. You can put cabbage, carrots, beets, herbs and onions in the preparation for borscht. You can make a simpler mixture of beets, onions and carrots. If you wish, you can freeze all the vegetables separately and mix them together just before cooking.

Preparing frozen mixed vegetables:

1. All vegetables should be carefully sorted, rotten and spoiled ones should be removed.
2. Wash, peel, cut. Suitable for slicing vegetables: knife, grater, vegetable slicer.
3. Blanching. Essential for preserving the color, flavor and texture of some vegetables.
4. Place the vegetables in boiling water for a few seconds, drain in a colander, and dry.
5. Transfer to a storage container: plastic container, freezer bags.
6. It is advisable to use vegetables within 1 year.

Advice! Label the date the mixture was prepared on the outside of the bag or container. This way the vegetables will not sit for a long time.

Place the prepared vegetable mixtures in the freezer.

Energy value of the product (Ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates):

Proteins: 1.1g. (4.4 kcal)

Fat: 0.2g. (1.8 kcal)

Carbohydrates: 2.7g. (10.8 kcal)

Energy ratio (b|w|y): 8% | 3% | 21%

Freezing is one of the many ways to store food. Firstly, this method is quite simple, and secondly, effective: if products are frozen and stored at low temperatures, the vitamins in them will be preserved almost completely, and this is very important.

Let's figure out why frozen vegetables are healthy

Thanks to freezing, you can eat vegetables all year round Moreover, they taste no worse than fresh vegetables just picked from the garden. However, why then can you sometimes come across statements that such vegetables are harmful to health?

So, usually vegetables that are intended for freezing are not processed immediately, but a couple of hours after collection. Of course, at the same time, the amount of vitamins in vegetables manages to decrease. But compared to vegetables that have traveled from the place of collection to the store, frozen vegetables lose much less vitamins. The fact that store-bought vegetables contain much less vitamins than frozen ones is also confirmed by laboratory studies. Moreover, this difference is where more in winter, since then most of the vegetables that are sold in the store are brought there from southern countries.

Frozen vegetables are not only an excellent source of vitamins, such vegetables also improve appetite and digestion. Frozen vegetables can be boiled and fried, or stewed - and they can be consumed not only as a side dish, but also as a separate dish. In Russia, the most popular frozen vegetables are beans, mixed vegetables, and different kinds cabbage

To freeze vegetables yourself, you can use either plastic bag, or any container with a lid. However, bags are more suitable for storing vegetable slices, but in a container, unlike it, it is possible to store whole vegetables.

Possible harm from using frozen vegetables

So let's now find out whether frozen vegetables can cause any harm to our health. In fact, this can happen, but only if you first took the frozen vegetables out of the freezer, they thawed, and you froze them again. The fact is that you cannot refreeze vegetables - otherwise, the vegetables may spoil and, if eaten, cause food poisoning. It is also important to remember that frozen vegetables must be stored at low temperatures. If you follow these two simple rules, then frozen vegetables will only provide benefits and no harm. We recommend reading our article about which sweets are healthy.

Be healthy!

Here's an opinion Head of the Laboratory of Food Additives of the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences A. N. Zaitsev:

– Experts believe freezing the best way canning. No wonder today it has become perhaps the most popular in the whole world. By the way, the secret of “berries with ice” is well known to residents of the North of Russia, who have stored cranberries and lingonberries frozen since time immemorial. Quick freezing technology allows you to almost completely preserve vitamins and minerals. Both in taste and in their nutritional value, frozen vegetables and fruits are not inferior to fresh ones. But under two conditions. Firstly, you need to store them in the freezer. Secondly, you cannot thaw and then freeze again, otherwise the food may spoil and even cause poisoning.

Variegated soup

Vegetable soups made from “frozen” improve digestion, appetite, and increase body tone. Cut and fry 1-2 onions vegetable oil until golden brown. Place the vegetable mixture of green peas and carrots in a weak broth. Bring to a boil. A few minutes before cooking, add the onion.

Magnificent Quartet

Place a mixture of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots in boiling water and cook until tender. Add salt and spices to taste. Without defrosting, simmer the champignons with onions over low heat for 7-10 minutes. Mix mushrooms with vegetables and serve as a side dish (then the meat will be digested better and faster) or as a separate dish. It contains a lot of fiber, which removes excess cholesterol, as well as a complex of minerals important for health.

Vegetable mosaic

Tired? Do you want to regain your strength? Relieve swelling, lose weight? Include vegetable stew in your diet.

Frozen cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, green peas and fresh tomatoes (proportions to taste) simmer in vegetable oil, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes over low heat. Add cloves to taste. Before serving, garnish with finely chopped herbs.

Desserts “Dreams of Summer”

Cherry jelly. Soak gelatin in water for 25-30 minutes. When it swells, squeeze it out. Place the cherries in boiling water. Wait until the water boils again, add sugar syrup, strain. Then add gelatin and stir. Place the berries in molds, fill with syrup and leave to harden in a cool place. Add a little wine and lemon juice to the jelly for flavor.

For 0.5 kg of cherries - 0.5 liters of water, 250 g of granulated sugar, 1/2 cup of dry white wine or liqueur, 1/2 tbsp. spoons of lemon juice, 1/2 tbsp. spoons of gelatin.

Berry mousse. Let the berries thaw slightly and prepare a puree from them: mash and rub through a sieve. Pour in the marc hot water, boil for 5-7 minutes, strain. Add granulated sugar and pre-soaked gelatin to the berry broth and, stirring continuously, bring to a boil. Then cool, add berry puree and beat until a homogeneous mass is formed (it should double in volume, for this it is better to beat in a cool place). Place the finished mousse into molds and cool. Garnish with slices of fresh or canned berries and fruits.

For 1 cup of berries – 2 cups of water, 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, 15 g of gelatin.

Where are vitamins stored?

Homemade preparations may well replenish the supply of vitamins that was pretty much wasted over the winter. True, the preservation of nutrients is significantly influenced by the method of canning vegetables and fruits.

Like a cucumber

Salting and pickling allow you to preserve almost all the vitamins and microelements that are found in fresh vegetables. At the same time, some canned vegetables turn out to be even healthier than the “raw materials”. Classic example - sauerkraut. Lactic acid bacteria, which are released during fermentation, allow all vitamins to be completely preserved, while in fresh cabbage some of the vitamins are destroyed during storage. And cabbage brine is a wonderful preventive remedy for gastritis with high acidity and a real helper for those who want to part with extra pounds. The fact is that cabbage brine contains substances that prevent the conversion of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat.

Soaked apples are also sometimes healthier than their fresh counterparts. If fresh apples lie down for at least a couple of weeks, they lose approximately one third of the vitamin C they contain, whereas in soaked apples ascorbic acid is completely preserved.

However, it is better for heart patients and hypertensive patients not to overuse pickles and marinades. These canned foods contain too much salt, which can lead to increased blood pressure. Spicy snacks such as lecho, pickled tomatoes and peppers are contraindicated for people suffering from gastritis and peptic ulcers.

A fly sat on the jam

Unfortunately, during cooking, fruits and berries lose approximately 30% of the vitamins they contain. But jams and compotes contain quite a lot of fiber and pectin. These substances reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the blood and improve digestion. But for lovers of the so-called raw jam, for the preparation of which the berries are not boiled, but simply ground with sugar, there is no risk of a lack of vitamins - this method of canning allows you to preserve most of the nutrients.

But if you are prone to obesity or suffer diabetes mellitus, it is better to avoid sweet jams, preserves and compotes.

Shrinkage and attrition

But dried fruits and berries are far from the richest source of vitamins. However, there are pleasant exceptions. Dried rose hips contain a large amount of ascorbic acid, and prunes and dried apricots contain a lot of potassium that is beneficial for the heart and blood vessels. But if you want to lose weight, you shouldn’t rely too much on dried fruits - dried fruits are very high in calories.

By the way

It's better in the freezer! According to a new study by Austrian scientists, frozen vegetables are often healthier than imported “fresh” vegetables, which are sold in supermarkets out of season.

Researchers say that fresh-looking vegetables that do a long way Before reaching the counter, they lose a lot of the vitamins and minerals they contain. Frozen vegetables, on the other hand, are processed, often just hours after being picked, and their nutritional value is preserved. Scientists compared nutritional value frozen foods and imported fresh vegetables sold in winter. The vitamin content of frozen peas, cauliflower, beans, corn and carrots was much higher than that of imported fresh vegetables from Italy, Spain, Turkey and Israel.

Personal opinion

Aziza, singer:

– I don’t consider frozen vegetables and fruits particularly healthy, but, of course, I use them sometimes. For example, my favorite winter cherry pie can only be made from frozen berries, which I always keep in the refrigerator. But it seems to me that the frozen corn and green peas had previously undergone some kind of heat treatment. Therefore, it is better to use vegetables that you prepare yourself. For example, my aunt and I freeze for the winter bell pepper, which we collect in large quantities at the dacha.

The most popular frozen foods among Russians

According to sociologists, the most popular frozen foods among Russians are:

Vegetables

1. Cabbage (cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli)

2. Green beans and vegetable mixtures (“Hawaiian”, “Mexican”, “Spicy”, etc.)

Berries

Strawberry

2. Cranberry

3. Cherry, blueberry, lingonberry

Mushrooms

1. Champignon

2. White boletus, boletus, boletus

The most unpopular frozen product is French fries.

Continued: What to cook from frozen vegetables →

Fresh vegetables and fruits are sold in supermarkets and markets all year round, but only in the cold season there is practically no benefit from them due to the lack of vitamins. There are also frozen foods on sale, but are they any good or are they harmful?

Are there any benefits to frozen vegetables and fruits?

Modern technology of blast freezing of products is in great demand. Thanks to it, we can eat vegetables, fruits and berries collected during the ripening season all year round. At the same time, some have doubts about the benefits of frozen foods, while others even talk about their harm and health hazard.

From the moment of collection until freezing, the collected vegetables and fruits have time to sit for several hours, as a result of which a certain amount of vitamins disappears. But just imagine how long fresh products last, which are first subjected to long-term transportation, storage in warehouses and shelves.

Even laboratory studies confirm that frozen fruits, vegetables and herbs are more beneficial than fresh, but stored ones. IN winter time year, this difference is most pronounced, since almost all of them are delivered to us from distant southern countries. As for the local ones, grown in greenhouses and greenhouses, they are also almost useless, and also practically tasteless.

Properly frozen vegetables are rich in vitamins and tasty. They can be fried, boiled, stewed and even used to make salads. There should be no doubt about whether frozen vegetables are beneficial, but we recommend buying products from trusted brands that care about their reputation.

You can also freeze vegetables and fruits yourself during the season, bought at the market or collected from your own plot. The main thing to remember is that the freezer compartment of a household refrigerator is not capable of quickly freezing food, so some vitamins are inevitably lost.

What to buy in winter - frozen or fresh food?

There is constant debate regarding the benefits and harms of frozen fruits, berries, vegetables and herbs. There are even Scientific research, confirming the higher nutrient content in freezing. Opponents of such products argue by the lack of confidence in using the correct technology in production, as well as the possibility of defrosting the contents of the package during transportation. Both versions have the right to exist.

As for the cold season, if possible, buy frozen fruits and vegetables. The fact is that at the production stage they are carefully selected, washed, peeled and crushed, and then packaged and frozen. As a result, the package contains an ideal product, and if it is frozen correctly, it will definitely surpass in its beneficial properties the tasteless and unnatural vegetables and fruits brought to us from distant countries or grown artificially locally.

Which frozen foods are the healthiest?

There are certain fruits and vegetables that are even healthier when frozen than canned and sometimes fresh:

• Corn. Frozen is definitely better than canned. First of all, it tastes better and has twice as many nutrients.
• Peas. When frozen, peas practically do not change their appearance and taste properties. Once defrosted, you will have difficulty distinguishing it from fresh. In addition, frozen food contains more vitamins (especially vitamin C) than canned food.
• Blueberry. It contains many flavonoids that prevent heart disorders and cancer. In frozen berries, their concentration almost does not decrease during the first four months.
• Spinach. Scientists have confirmed that when spinach is frozen, the amount of calcium in it even increases, but the frozen food is stored for three to four months, and then beneficial features start to get lost.
• Cherry. Another product that, when frozen, is healthier and tastier than canned.

Disadvantages of frozen foods

Can frozen fruits and vegetables be harmful and do they have any real downsides? First of all, negative temperatures lead to the oxidation of certain substances. Because of this, some products lose their true taste, but this is not so critical in the case of industrial freezing. If you freeze something at home, you will definitely notice a deterioration in taste.

Remember that after cooking, frozen food spoils faster than natural food. In addition, they react more strongly to acid and alkali in the body, not having time to be digested, but simply rotting. This only applies to some products that you do not use for industrial freezing.

Frozen fruits and vegetables do not cause direct harm to health, and to preserve the benefits, defrosting during transportation or storage should not be allowed. They need to be cooked immediately after defrosting.

Freezing is great way food storage. But such food can be both beneficial and harmful to the body. It is important to learn how to choose frozen foods correctly in order to get vitamins and important microelements from such food.

There is constant debate about the benefits and harms of frozen foods. Fruits, herbs, and vegetables are sources of vitamins, but if improperly processed or not maintained under storage conditions, they lose their properties. The amount of vitamins decreases, some of them oxidize. The website contains a useful reminder "", it will help prolong the freshness of products and preserve their taste.

To extend shelf life using non-natural methods, manufacturers add chemical substances, which negatively affect human body. In order to preserve the useful components as much as possible, you need to learn how to properly defrost food.

Frozen food production

In production, fruits, vegetables, and berries go through several stages:

• selection by size, quality;
• the washing up;
• removal of seeds, skins, stalks;
• blanching;
• cooling;
• weighing;
• freezing;
• packaging, labeling, packaging.

Freezing meat products

A similar scheme is used for freezing meat, fish, and poultry. In production, air cooling can be used, in which food is poured into special chambers where natural air convection occurs. Processing using a fast air flow in tunnel or gravity-conveyor freezers is considered more effective. The temperature ranges from -35 ° C to -50 ° C. This shock effect ensures individual cooling of each individual element, preserving its beneficial properties and natural appearance.

Freezing vegetables and fruits

Food plant origin very rarely processed by cryogenic means. This technology is used for freezing meat, fish, bakery and confectionery products. The refrigerant can be carbon dioxide or liquid nitrogen. With this processing, there is a slight evaporation of moisture from the food. Thus, there is practically no harm cell structure, due to this, the taste, original appearance, and beneficial properties of the products are preserved.
The duration of freezing depends on the technology used and the types of food.

What food is frozen

Fruits, vegetables, berries, herbs - all this is frozen to obtain vitamins in the winter. Do not process cabbage, radishes, cucumbers and lettuce in this way, as they turn into a watery pulp.

Frozen meat, poultry, and fish are especially popular. They are stored longer if processed in their raw form.
Bakery and confectionery products tolerate cold well, but crumbly decorations can become soggy, and icing, custards lose properties.

Salty, fatty foods (sausages, bacon, ham, sausages) lose their taste under prolonged exposure to subzero temperatures. Their shelf life should not exceed 1 month. This also applies to ready-made meals.
Frozen dumplings, pancakes, cutlets, dumplings are semi-finished products that are found in abundance on store shelves. You can prepare them yourself for storage in the freezer (no more than two months).

What are the disadvantages of frozen foods?

When exposed to low temperatures, many vitamins oxidize, and meals prepared from frozen foods may not be healthy enough. When preparing at home, important components are practically not preserved. In industrial conditions, due to very low temperatures and high processing speed, some vitamins still remain in the food.

The harm of frozen food also lies in the fact that it can decompose soon after consumption under the influence of an alkaline and acidic environment in the body. Such food rots faster than is over-etched.

Freezing does not kill many types of microbes; they become inactive and become active after defrosting. Therefore, fruits, vegetables, berries, and herbs need to be washed well and preferably subjected to heat treatment.

What will you choose - food additives and preservatives or frozen foods?

Is it harmful to eat frozen foods?

The benefits and harms of such food depend on the following factors:

- freezing method;

- storage conditions;

- method of defrosting.

Food that has been cooled without the use of technological equipment contains fewer nutrients, but there is confidence in its naturalness. Freezing, which is done in production, is considered more reliable for preserving vitamins and microelements. But here doubts arise about proper storage.

Manufacturers in processing low temperatures Additionally, dyes and various chemical components can be used. Very unhealthy food that was re-frozen.

How to choose quality frozen foods

Frozen meat It is better to buy in individual packaging from the manufacturer, with a written expiration date.

Choosing seafood, pay attention to the amount of ice glaze. It should not exceed 10% of total weight. Individual packaging must be for dry-frozen seafood.

Vegetables, berries, fruits should not be stuck together. When choosing, you should pay attention to their shape and color. Appearance must be natural.
At the time of buying Special attention You should pay attention to the integrity of the packaging and the expiration date indicated on it.

Whether or not to consume such food is a personal matter for everyone, but it is worth remembering that it can bring both benefit and harm. It is better to buy products from well-known manufacturers who are responsible for quality. If you decide to process food at home, you should follow the basic rules of freezing and storage.

How do you feel about frozen foods?