Vegetables out of a bag unhealthy?

AigreDoux wrote: »

How do you buy vegetables without bags?

Carry them home in your arms?

There is nothing wrong with food that comes from a box or bag.

I've actually read that frozen is better because they are frozen when they are fresher which preserves the nutrients. Fresh veggies lose their nutrients the longer they sit.

This is a perfect example of why the arbitrary term "clean eating" and many of the subjective rules associated with it, are so unhelpful and confusing. There is nothing wrong with eating frozen vegetables - from a nutrient standpoint they are just as good as fresh, and from an availability/seasonality perspective - they are often superior.

OP - why do you think that you need to avoid foods that come in a bag or box? Are you also going to avoid other things like rice, quinoa, dried beans and pasta that are pretty impossible to get from store to home without some sort of packaging?

mom22dogs wrote: »

I've actually read that frozen is better because they are frozen when they are fresher which preserves the nutrients. Fresh veggies lose their nutrients the longer they sit.

This.

Right now it's an off growing season where I live (MI), so fresh produce is being shipped in from all over the country (or even other countries). By the time it actually gets to my grocery store the stuff is pretty old. Frozen veggies/fruit though are picked and then frozen, which locks in their nutrients.

In the summer I enjoy getting fresh produce from the farmers market, but otherwise I buy frozen whenever possible.

Jruzer wrote: »

Some advocates for "clean eating" will say that one shouldn't eat "anything out of a box or bag". This question illustrates why that is bad advice.

Those of us who don't buy into "clean eating" will point out that all food is processed to some degree, including fresh fruits and vegetables. Advocates for clean eating" will accuse their opponents of bad faith with statements such as "When I say 'processed', I clearly don't mean things like frozen vegetables'". Yet apparently some people out there DO think this way.

OP, frozen vegetables out of a box are a good choice. You should reconsider whether you want to base your diet off of unhelpful, arbitrary rules.

Agree with all of it, especially the bolded... I can't count how many times I've seen a "clean eating" proponent say "you know what I meant" when someone challenges the arbitrary rules with a picture of bagged salad, baby carrots, or frozen vegetables...

OP - I know it's easy to feel defensive, but try not to. People are simply trying to point out how arbitrary and unhelpful these sorts of rules are, and help you understand that there is such a wide variety of commercially available foods today - and all of it has been processed in some ways. Processing is not synonymous with unhealthy. I eat a variety of foods - many of them convenience items that would definitely not fit your criteria. In fact, I just finished a frozen Healthy Choice meal with extra chicken added. It is within my calories, has vegetables, protein, and carbs. Other days this week I've eaten leftovers from a meal I cooked which included chicken, vegetables, and pasta. You can eat processed foods as part of a healthful overall diet. You can also eat nothing but whole foods and still gain weight and be unhealthy. It's all about balance.