Frozen veggies?

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BreatheFye
BreatheFye Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,
I was just wondering about the nutritional content of frozen veggies. Is it true that if you cook them they lose value? Because I can't afford to buy much fresh veggies, other than a fresh onion, pepper, and tomato every week (which still adds up to ~$4, but they're so vital in most of my recipes). So I always buy bags of frozen veggies (mixed veggies, brocolli, green beans, corn, etc).
Also, if anyone has recommendations for cheap fresh veggies, or how to season veggies, I'd love to hear them!
Thank you

Replies

  • tracymayo1
    tracymayo1 Posts: 445 Member
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    I uisually buy the huge COSTCO bags of brocoli (fresh) and eat brocoli with almost every meal. This is the only veg my youngest will eat.
    Carrots (not baby ones) are also pretty cheap in large bags.
    Corn is inexpensive when in season as is squash.

    For seasoning, I normally steam my veggies and thats it.
    If you have to put something on them, I do put a pinch of salt or on rare occasions a small amount of butter. But I like them as is..
  • bradntx
    bradntx Posts: 5 Member
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    I go off the nutritional info on the packaging, If you are getting a good balance diet based on that and that's what you can afford then stick with it. Unless you have some specific vitamin deficiency then frozen is fine. Between Fresh, Frozen and Canned, frozen is so much better than canned.
  • JenniferIsLosingIt
    JenniferIsLosingIt Posts: 595 Member
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    Frozen is great and I wouldnt worry about what you will lose, just don't overcook them. :) I try and buy bulk when veggies are on sale and freeze what I can.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
    edited November 2014
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    Frozen veggies often have more nutritional value than fresh because they are flash frozen when they are actually fresh.

    Cooking is going to slightly alter the nutritional value of anything...it's really not worth worrying about though. It's largely inconsequential if you're eating a well balanced, nutritious diet. BTW, some veggies benefit from being cooked...i.e. they are altered to be somewhat more nutritious...again, you can drive yourself bat *kitten* crazy with this kind of minutia though.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    The only canned veggie I use over frozen is corn. Frozen corn never heats right. Oh, and frozen broccoli really sucks too. I usually steam them warm so Chef Mike doesn't dry them out.
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
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    Frozen veggies are packaged at peak freshness so nutritional value should not matter. I love to keep frozen veggies on hand. I like to saute them with coconut oil or even roast them with meats for more flavor.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    KylaDenay wrote: »
    Frozen veggies are packaged at peak freshness so nutritional value should not matter. I love to keep frozen veggies on hand. I like to saute them with coconut oil or even roast them with meats for more flavor.

    +1 to roasting. So delicious!
  • stacyjh1979
    stacyjh1979 Posts: 188 Member
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    I've heard that before too but I buy frozen broccoli regularly. I usually get 4 bags a week and cook it ahead of time to bring with me to work and eat it with lunch almost every day. Even if it loses some nutrition in cooking it I'm sure you'll still benefit from that versus not eating the veggies at all.
  • independant2406
    independant2406 Posts: 447 Member
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    Some cooking can actually enhance the nutritional value of veggies. Cooking them isn't necessarily bad. The difference in the nutrient levels between raw, frozen and boiled/drained broccoli per the USDA database is pretty much nothing.

    http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf072304b

    http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/
  • Tigg_er
    Tigg_er Posts: 22,001 Member
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    KylaDenay wrote: »
    Frozen veggies are packaged at peak freshness so nutritional value should not matter. I love to keep frozen veggies on hand. I like to saute them with coconut oil or even roast them with meats for more flavor.

    ^^This and +2 for roasting
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Frozen veggies often have more nutritional value than fresh because they are flash frozen when they are actually fresh.

    Cooking is going to slightly alter the nutritional value of anything...it's really not worth worrying about though. It's largely inconsequential if you're eating a well balanced, nutritious diet. BTW, some veggies benefit from being cooked...i.e. they are altered to be somewhat more nutritious...again, you can drive yourself bat *kitten* crazy with this kind of minutia though.

    Thank you ! Finally someone who is well informed !
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Frozen veggies often have more nutritional value than fresh because they are flash frozen when they are actually fresh.

    Cooking is going to slightly alter the nutritional value of anything...it's really not worth worrying about though. It's largely inconsequential if you're eating a well balanced, nutritious diet. BTW, some veggies benefit from being cooked...i.e. they are altered to be somewhat more nutritious...again, you can drive yourself bat *kitten* crazy with this kind of minutia though.

    ^this.

  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    what they said about nuritional value.

    I like both. Fresh you get better texture imo.

    Steaming is best, if you are boiling then dont overdo them.

    If you wnat fresh then use markets as they often have the less perfect seasonal items but are much cheaper than supermarkets.
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Frozen veggies often have more nutritional value than fresh because they are flash frozen when they are actually fresh.

    Cooking is going to slightly alter the nutritional value of anything...it's really not worth worrying about though. It's largely inconsequential if you're eating a well balanced, nutritious diet. BTW, some veggies benefit from being cooked...i.e. they are altered to be somewhat more nutritious...again, you can drive yourself bat *kitten* crazy with this kind of minutia though.
    This too!
  • rbfdac
    rbfdac Posts: 1,057 Member
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    It's honestly negligible, IMO. Just eat your vegetables in any way you can (avoid canned IF POSSIBLE) and continue healthy habits and you'll be fine.

    I also eat an entire frozen bag of broccoli each week and two or three fresh bunches as well. I like to add low sodium soy sauce and stevia to mine and roast them in the oven. DELICIOUS sweet and salty side or snack.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Frozen veggies often have more nutritional value than fresh because they are flash frozen when they are actually fresh.

    Cooking is going to slightly alter the nutritional value of anything...it's really not worth worrying about though. It's largely inconsequential if you're eating a well balanced, nutritious diet. BTW, some veggies benefit from being cooked...i.e. they are altered to be somewhat more nutritious...again, you can drive yourself bat *kitten* crazy with this kind of minutia though.

    This.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    I've heard and read different ideas on this. I don't know what the right answer is.

    I prefer fresh because they taste better and have more interesting textures. I buy frozen because out-of-season stuff goes bad so quickly and because I can get mixed veggies without having to waste a bunch. My stores want us to buy big bags of green beans and big bunches of carrots. I can't eat all that before it spoils!

    The only thing I buy canned is corn and tomato. Fresh tomatoes make my mouth swell and frozen corn is never "right", lol.

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