When it comes to fresh, frozen or canned vegetables, do you have any idea which contains the most nutrients?
Most people might be inclined to say fresh.
But did you know that there is little difference in nutritional value between fresh, frozen and canned products?
That’s according to resident Fruit Nerd Thanh Truong.
Thanh is an advocate for fresh produce, as she says it gives you the best textural experience.
“It will be solid and clear,” he says.
However, this may not always be as important as stewing the vegetable.
“You’ll get pretty much all the nutritional value you can get from each of these ingredients, especially if you’re going to cook fruit and vegetables before eating them,” says Thanh.
Why?
There are similar nutrient losses between the canning process and cooking fresh vegetables, for example, says Mala Gamage of CSIRO’s Center for Food Innovation.
“Carbs, protein, fat and fiber are not affected or reduced by the canning process, but … vitamins [do],” says.
“Vitamins B and C are more susceptible to heat loss.”
However, when we compare canned products with fresh products, he says we have to take into account that some fruits and vegetables need to be cooked before eating.
“So there can be similar losses in the normal cooking process,” says Dr Gamage.
For frozen products, Thanh says, because the products are “fast frozen” (aka really fast frozen) when defrosted, they are in the same or very similar state as before freezing.
The ‘backward’ process
Thanh also talks about what the industry calls “backwards” when it comes to sourcing products.
It’s not as simple as picking something from the tree and bringing it to your door. Fruits and vegetables are often picked before the optimum time because they can take weeks to reach us as consumers.
“[For example]we have some tomatoes here that were picked yesterday and they are picked at a slightly greener stage,” says Thanh.
“It gives us time to take the fruit to the markets here.
“It may be a little more colorful when you buy it and last a few more days without cooking.”
If you eat a tomato at the “wrong stage,” he says, like a little early, you may not experience the best eating experience compared to tomatoes that have been canned at the best time.
Also, Thanh says that some fruits and vegetables contain a lot of nutrients, but if you eat them raw, you won’t actually be able to access all the goodness in them.
“Some fruits and vegetables really need to be cooked to access all their nutrients,” she says.
Thanh’s shopping tips
There are some clues to how Thanh feeds his family, as there are differences in price, availability, and shelf life between fresh, frozen, and canned goods.
Tomatoes
She says canned tomatoes are effortless.
“If you’re going to eat a salad, of course go for the fresh one because you want the texture, the vibrancy,” Thanh says.
“But if you’re going to cook it in a pasta, then canned tomatoes will do.”
He says not only are they cheap, they’re picked at a more mature stage.
Pineapple
Thanh is also a fan of canned pineapple.
“[They are a] a really good option because pineapples are usually very fibrous. There’s a lot of string in there, so it doesn’t actually break that much when canned.
“And so it doesn’t turn into mush.”
He says if you’re planning to cut it up to add to pizza or granola, for example, you’ll still get that textural bite.
“And most of the time, let’s face it, we won’t need a whole pineapple for a meal,” she says.
Strawberry
Thanh says frozen fruit is a good option if you’re cooking or will be cooking anyway.
“My kids actually eat frozen fruit with their cereal every morning.”
He says frozen fruit may be better than fresh because they’re picked at the most opportune time.
A fresh strawberry has been picked “upside down” and may be slightly white and/or green.
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