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 fresh vegetables imported from warm countries.

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 of ascorbic acid - vitamin C - decreases. 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 few 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. Prepared vegetable dishes 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.

Gyuvech:

• 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 all the vitamins and microelements necessary for humans. Both fresh and frozen vegetables contain vitamins B and C, potassium, calcium, and other useful substances.

All frozen vegetable mixtures help improve appetite, improve the functioning of the 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, it is 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, and besides, 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 much greater in winter, since then most of the vegetables 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 various types of cabbage.

In order to freeze vegetables yourself, you can use either a 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 consider freezing to be the best method of 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 in 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 hot water over the pomace, 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”. A classic example is 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 lose 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 have been sitting for at least a couple of weeks, they lose approximately one-third of the vitamin C they contain, while ascorbic acid is completely retained in soaked apples.

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 high 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 lovers of the so-called raw jam, for the preparation of which the berries are not boiled, but simply ground with sugar, do not face 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 from diabetes, 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 fresh-looking vegetables that travel a long way before reaching the grocery store lose many 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 the nutritional value of 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 bell peppers for the winter, 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 mixed vegetables (“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 →

People who monitor their health, especially in the spring, think about the problem of vitamin deficiency. It is no secret that fresh vegetables, which are stored in warehouses for a long time, gradually lose their vitamins. But stores sell a large number of frozen vegetables. Let's consider whether frozen vegetables are healthy and whether they contain vitamins.

What are the benefits of frozen vegetables?

There is no point in eating frozen vegetables during the season when all natural fresh vegetables are rich in vitamins. But by the end of winter and spring they will come in very handy. The fact is that when freezing, less vegetables are lost than when they are stored for a long time in vegetable stores or at home. In addition, such vegetables have no preservatives, they are very easy to prepare, they retain their taste, and they are low in calories.

After numerous different studies, it has been proven that frozen vegetables retain substances that are very valuable for the human body. The value of these substances was not recognized by scientists for quite a long time. This is sulforaphene - it helps prevent cancer; quercetin - helps cope with various viruses; polyacetylenes, which are involved in cell regeneration. These substances are found in large quantities in bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower.

In most cases, when frozen, vegetables are exposed, and quickly, to low temperatures. In this case, the fruits become shriveled very quickly. The water contained in vegetables simply does not have time to form into ice crystals, which destroy the cell membranes. This is why frozen vegetables retain their shape when frozen. In addition, vitamins in vegetables are not destroyed during quick freezing. For example, in vegetables that are stored indoors, under the influence of external factors, vitamin C loses its properties by 50-60%, and when frozen, only by 20-30%. Therefore, we can say with confidence that there are certainly benefits from frozen vegetables.

In what cases do frozen vegetables retain more nutrients?

You need to know that vegetables should be frozen only once, since when defrosted they lose vitamins and other useful substances. In addition, if you decide to cook such vegetables, then when you take them out of the freezer, you should defrost them very quickly, otherwise they will darken and an unpleasant smell and taste will appear. This is because during defrosting, under the influence of light, microelements, as well as vitamins, can evaporate. It’s even better to cook frozen vegetables without defrosting, directly from the freezer into boiling water. This way, you will get the maximum benefit from such products.

It is not recommended to wash frozen foods, as water spoils their taste and washes out a significant amount of vitamins. In addition, the less water is used to cook frozen vegetables, the more nutrients will be retained. A steamer is ideal for preparing dishes from frozen vegetables.

It's good if you have the opportunity to freeze vegetables yourself. At the same time, you must ensure that frozen vegetables do not defrost. But what if we buy such products in a store? In this case, when purchasing them, you need to pay attention to the fact that the bag is not soft, since no one knows how many times such a bag of vegetables has been defrosted. In addition, you need to pay attention to when they were frozen. It happens that such products are stored for several years, but the longer they are stored, the less beneficial properties they retain. And of course, the appearance of frozen vegetables can tell a lot. If the vegetables in the bag are crumbly and not stuck together, then they were frozen only once. If the vegetables in the bag are frozen in the form of a lump or briquette, then this product has been defrosted several times, how many times is not clear. The more times they were defrosted, the less useful in the vegetables was preserved. Of course, there is no harm to health from them, but there is no benefit either.

The main source of vitamins for us will always be vegetables and fruits. And if in the summer it is not a problem to saturate your body with vitamins, then in the winter vitamin deficiency awaits us. Not everyone has access to live vitamins in winter. Fruits and vegetables become more expensive, sometimes several times. Therefore, there is a great demand for frozen vegetables. Many people are now arguing about the usefulness of “freezing”. Mostly people are interested in: Do frozen vegetables retain their beneficial properties? How useful are they as a source of vitamins? Is it possible to fully replace fresh vegetables with frozen ones without losing quality? How to choose the right quality “frozen vitamins”? Let's try to understand this issue.

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Photo gallery: Do frozen vegetables retain their beneficial properties?

Opponents of the use of preservatives of various kinds unequivocally state: fresh vegetables and fruits are much healthier than any frozen ones. And they are right! If you have your own garden and vegetable garden, then this is where the most useful gifts of nature grow. But if you are a city resident buying vegetables in a store. This statement is not so categorical. It is worth considering the conditions of transportation and storage of these products. Often the conditions are such that they reduce the beneficial qualities to nothing.

How is the freshness of vegetables and fruits determined? It is determined by the amount of vitamin C in the product. This vitamin is so fragile that after a couple of days of storage its amount drops significantly. For example, broccoli and asparagus lose up to 80% of vitamin C after two days of storage, and spinach - up to 75%.

Today, deep freezing of vegetables, fruits and berries is the only 100% natural option for canning. It allows you not to lose the taste and beneficial properties of products. The time between picking vegetables and freezing is very short, so frozen vegetables and berries are a healthy product.

How is freezing done?

The main principle of quick freezing of vegetables and fruits is to reduce the temperature of the product from its surface to the core. The juice of vegetables and fruits at a certain point turns into tiny ice crystals. Modern technologies can quickly bring the temperature inside the fetus to the desired -18 degrees. This temperature is the same throughout the entire freezing process. Therefore, in the cells of the fruit, ice crystals are formed uniformly, without disturbing the structure of plant fibers. The faster vegetables are frozen, the less damage to the fibers. Such vegetables and fruits retain almost all their beneficial properties, not differing much in the degree of usefulness from freshly picked ones.

If the freezing was not quick, then the ice crystals increased, destroying the structure of the fiber and, as it were, dehydrating the fruit. Such vegetables are no good after defrosting. Therefore, it is not recommended to defrost vegetables and fruits in advance.

If the package says “Instant freezing”, then it is a healthy product. You can safely buy these “frozen vitamins.”

Any fresh fruit will benefit most from its consumption when it is first picked. These are seasonal products. Then they are frozen. This means that by choosing a “fresh” vegetable instead of a frozen one, we get fewer vitamins.

Another objection that opponents of frozen vegetables have is its price. Frozen vegetables are more expensive than fresh ones. Especially when compared with prices during the harvest. But in winter, this difference is no longer so noticeable. Frozen vegetables have no waste and are washed and cut. This saves us money and time.

There is an opinion that dyes are added to frozen vegetables and fruits. But their color is actually so vibrant because they are steamed or boiled before freezing to preserve color and nutrients.

Thanks to deep freezing technology, we can enjoy the gifts of nature all year round.

Who benefits from this?

For city residents who do not have their own gardens and gardens. City dwellers suffer from a lack of vitamins even in the summer, and even more so in the winter.

For those who are on a diet. In 5-10 minutes you can prepare a healthy dish.

People with weakened immune systems. After all, these vegetables are processed before freezing, and the remaining bacteria are killed by cold.

For those who have no time to waste time fiddling around the stove: businessmen, students, young mothers. And everyone who just doesn’t like cooking.

And also for those who love to cook and create culinary masterpieces. After all, such vegetables can be added to stews, casseroles, soups, meat dishes, vegetable pilafs and other culinary delights.

For vegetarians. Nowadays it is very fashionable to be vegetarians, but in our climatic conditions it is very difficult to get the right amount of nutrients for the body.

How to choose frozen vegetables?

Try to buy products from well-known manufacturers.

Be sure to read the preparation method and shelf life on the packaging.

Vegetables should crumble in the package. If there are frozen lumps there, it means they have already been defrosted.

Now you know whether frozen vegetables retain their beneficial properties.

Ah, those gray December vegetables on the shelves. Is there anything useful left in them? Yes, but not as much as in the summer. And you will be surprised - they often contain less nutrients than quick-frozen ones. From the moment the vegetable was sitting on/in the garden bed until the instant freezing process (that is, no storage at the vegetable warehouse), and the technology itself does not destroy the cells of carrots or peas - and as a result, you have an almost summer product. So, which is healthier in winter when frozen and by how much?

10% better

CARROT

Source of beta-carotene, a natural sunscreen

In winter there doesn’t seem to be much sun, but what if you’re heading to the clear mountains? Suddenly to hot countries? Beta-carotene fights free radicals that form in your skin as a result of sun exposure. 30 mg of beta-carotene daily (375 g of carrots) is an excellent prevention of skin cancer. The beneficial substance does not die when frozen, but is absorbed only with fat, so fertilize the boiled carrots with a small amount of butter.

45% better

GREEN BEANS

Source of vitamin K, a protector of the cardiovascular system

This little-known vitamin helps your heart valves remain elastic. A 125-gram serving of freshly frozen green beans provides a quarter of your daily requirement for the essential vitamin. For extra benefit, fry 400 grams of beans in olive oil with garlic (two chopped cloves) and sprinkle with 100 grams of ground almonds. Garlic contains allicin, which relaxes blood vessels, and almonds contain arginine, which maintains the flexibility of the arteries.

25% better

BROCCOLI

Source of folic acid, which helps you make sperm

Folic acid, also known as vitamin B9, helps the body produce red and white blood cells and, even better, boosts sperm production. The Journal of Human Reproduction reports that those who consume a lot of B9 have a 20-30% lower chance of having low-quality sperm. To enhance this effect, sprinkle steamed broccoli with sesame seeds - they also have a positive effect on the process, which is scientifically called “spermatogenesis”.

15% better

PEAS

Source of Manganese, a Cholesterol Fighter

Manganese is involved in the process of fat breakdown, and the more it enters the body, the less cholesterol there is in the blood. Frozen peas are also rich in water-soluble vitamins such as B1 and B6. So, cook it not just in water, which you then pour out, but, for example, in chicken broth, which you then use.

44% better

CORN

A source of antioxidants that prevent aging quickly

Firstly, corn is pumped to the limit with vitamin C (it is involved in many processes - from the production of the important substance histamine to regulating the level of anti-stress hormones), and even after freezing there is a lot of it left. In addition, all the antioxidants contained in corn are better preserved when frozen.