Frozen food becomes a favorite among parents since it helps them to store food easier yet longer. Some might think that frozen food has no advantages, but studies reveal that consuming frozen food may give you several benefits. Let’s see thousands of years ago when people found ways to store their food in cold conditions, to preserve their crops, and to sustain their lives during winter.
And today when you freeze food, you will have several reasons like cost savings or convenience. Food freezing will also preserve food and keep the nutritional benefits at its peak freshness.
There is a myth that fresh food is much better than a frozen one. Yet, freezing food is like hitting a pause button to the natural aging process of food. It keeps you to lock the nutrients and vitamins for longer, like Ardena frozen food.
The Benefits of Frozen Food
The first reason why choosing frozen food is because of the food quality you will get. This time, we might be encouraged that fresh food is better than a frozen one. Some may say that fresh meals are tastier and more nutritious than frozen food. Several studies try to compare fresh vegetables with frozen vegetables, and they find out that there are no differences between those vegetables in nutritional content. Freezing is a natural way to preserve food, and humans already do it for several centuries. Plus, if you choose Ardena frozen food, you will find all the goodness of the ingredients locked in it.
The second reason is that frozen food is still fresh. Just because you buy veggies and fruit, doesn’t mean that all of it is fresh. In supermarkets, veggies are sometimes stored for days, which may you will lose all the vitamins and nutrition because it stores too long. On the opposite, frozen vegetables are picked, washed, and blanched in only hours to keep their goodness.
Frozen food also reduces food waste, because food freezing will increase the lifespan of your veggies and food. Thus, it will help you to reduce unnecessary food waste. When you have many fruits or veggies that you can’t consume in a night, you can try to store them in a freezer-friendly container and put them in a freezer. This food preparation will help you much to reduce food waste and to save more time to cook for the next couple of days. This way also works if you’re a composter. Try to store your compost bin in the freezer to delay the decaying process and to reduce any unpleasant odors in your living space.
The last and the most popular benefits of frozen food is convenience. Frozen food is quick to heat up and easy to transport. It saves you time because it’s fast and easy to prepare and serve. When you freeze veggies or fruits, you can use it every time you desire.
How to Choose Frozen Food
Frozen food comes in various sizes and ways. You can find the one that is already salted or sweetened. Yet, to get the most benefit, choose plain frozen vegetables and season them by yourself. If you find frozen veggies in cheeses or sauce, it can be high in sodium and calorie. Thus, it’s better to buy plain frozen food to keep your health. It might also taste better than the salted or sweetened one. Do the same thing when choosing fruit. Frozen fruit that is picked at its peak of ripeness may have better nutrition than the fresh one. The key is by sticking up with 100% fruits. Avoid the one with added syrups or sugar.
And when you choose seafood or fish, the technique is the same as the previously frozen food. When itsy caught, then it’s frozen. This is a good option for those who live far from the coast. Frozen fish is the best choice to keep the fish nutrients. Avoid having breaded or fried seafood or fish. You need to check the label whether it contains sodium or other seasoned varieties. For a better choice, choose the plain one.
One important note when choosing seafood and fish is choosing the one with lower mercury levels like tilapia, salmon, sole, trout, shrimp, catfish, and also oysters. Also, choose fish that is growing not in harmful conditions.
Another tip when choosing healthy frozen food is by looking at its calories. Try to choose a meal that has only about 500 calories, or the one with a quarter of your daily calorie needs. You will find a lot of frozen food as diet meals that are low in calories. Or to control your calorie intake, pair the frozen food with salad or side dish.
Reviewing the ingredients list is important. Make sure you’re familiar with the ingredients they have. This is an indication that frozen food is a better product. Avoid the one with unnecessary ingredients or preservatives like Ardena frozen food.