Why Should You Avoid Frozen Vegetables and Fruits?

Ms.Ginni Kalra, 3 mins read

As we have become busy, getting time to cook has become a major task for many of us. That’s why we often have to resort to frozen foods, as they are convenient to carry and ready to use.

However, with that convenience, they have many downsides as well if you eat them often. They come with added sugars, preservatives, and a risk of contamination. So, they are not as healthy as they seem. Even they can actually be bad for your health.

Understanding the Danger

Frozen foods are often sold as a healthy and convenient option. You may have seen many such foods in a grocery store; some are even in your ration list as well. If used occasionally, they can be a good option as a quick fix. They can keep critical nutrients intact to some degree. However, regular usage can hurt our health. Here’s how:

Loss of Nutrition

Fresh fruits and vegetables are packed with rich nutrients, which fuel our bodies. But freezing can cause them to lose their nutrients, especially when frozen for a long time. Vitamins like Vitamin C, B-complex, and folate are usually found in smaller amounts in frozen foods than their fresh versions. Some frozen foods, like pastries, are also high in trans fats and unhealthy fats.

Risk of Foodborne Illnesses

Freezing is generally known to halt the growth of some bacteria and keep the food safe for later use. However, this process doesn’t kill all the pathogens. Improper handling or freezing in an unhygienic place can make the food a breeding ground for harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella or Listeria. These bacteria can cause foodborne illnesses and cause symptoms like diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting. Severe cases may even require hospitalisation.

Extra Salt in Frozen Vegetables

Heat-and-serve or pre-seasoned vegetables are often packed with extra salt to enhance their shelf-life and flavour. However, overconsumption of such products can cause hypertension, kidney problems, and heart disease over time.

Change in Taste and Texture

Over-freezing or freezing above the recommended temperature can cause the cell walls of the food to break down, which can reduce their natural crispiness, flavour, and texture.

Added Sugar in Frozen Fruits

To keep the flavour and texture of the food intact, they are packed and frozen with added sugar solutions or syrups. This extra sugar can be a risk factor for insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity.

Loss in Quality of Food

When the frozen food is exposed to air, it causes the moisture to directly sublimate from solid ice to gas. This causes dry, tough, and discoloured spots on the food’s surface. Though they can be eaten sometimes, their texture and taste are negatively impacted. Other times, they also lose their nutritional value and sometimes their antioxidant levels as well, making them unhealthy. This often happens when the food is frozen improperly or in improper containers.

Artificial Additives and Preservatives

Many frozen foods contain additives and preservatives to enhance flavour, taste, and shelf life. These can have adverse effects on health, causing symptoms like headache, allergic reactions, and other issues.

Negative Impact on the Environment

The energy and material used to pack, freeze, and transport frozen foods cost a lot on our environment. They often lead to the generation of greenhouse gas, single-use plastics, and carbon footprints, which affect the nature surrounding us.