6 Vegetables You Should Always Buy Frozen (Not Fresh)

Eating healthy isn’t always easy. Eating a diet rich in vegetables helps provide the necessary vitamins and minerals to keep our bodies healthy, but doing so can be difficult when vegetables are expensive, out of season, or quick to spoil in the fridge. To combat this, many experts recommend using frozen vegetables instead, which can actually provide higher levels of nutrients than fresh vegetables.

Why Choose Frozen Vegetables?

Once a vegetable is picked, it begins to lose nutrients, according to Cassandra Burke, RDN. Since frozen vegetables are flash-frozen at peak ripeness, this locks in the vitamins and minerals at their best, stopping the breakdown of nutrients. Vegetables also go through processing, storage, and transportation, meaning that by the time they reach the grocery store or home kitchen, the quality of nutrients remaining may have been impacted. 

As an added bonus to the nutrient-rich nature of frozen vegetables, browsing the freezer aisle is also a convenient way to grocery shop in a budget-friendly way, since frozen vegetables are often less expensive, especially if your veggie of choice is out of season. Burke also notes that frozen vegetables have a much longer shelf life, meaning they won’t go bad as quickly as their fresh counterparts. These pre-packaged vegetables have already been cleaned and prepped, making them conveniently ready to cook, straight out of the freezer. 

Nutritionist and sports medicine expert Dr. Peter Brukner often gets asked about frozen foods, and how we can incorporate them into our diets. While many vegetables can be a positive addition to your freezer, Dr. Brukner notes that some veggies are actually better for freezing than others.

6 Vegetables That Are Better Frozen, Not Fresh