Fresh or Frozen?
By the end of the week, my fresh vegetables are wilting in my refrigerator drawer. Are they still more nutritious than frozen?
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No, wilted vegetables are unlikely to be as nutritious as frozen vegetables. Most vegetables today are picked, cleaned and prepared right in the field and frozen within a few hours. They maintain a nutritional content that is as high, and sometimes higher, than produce that you purchase fresh in the stores. After a week at the bottom of the refrigerator, fresh vegetables lose more than just their taste. So buy both. Use your fresh veggies first and your frozen variety at the end of the week. Just make sure that you purchase plain frozen products without added creams and sauces.
Susan Kleiner, PhD, RD, is an international columnist and a speaker on the subjects of nutrition, sports and fitness.