Can you eat frozen vegetables? Benefits and harms of frozen foods Whether the benefits are preserved in frozen foods.

Frozen foods (both packaged vegetable mixes and fresh-frozen meat) are often considered to be less healthy and significantly inferior to regular food in terms of their nutritional and vitamin profile. Say, in the freeze "solid chemistry" and there is nothing useful. However, this is not entirely true, and in reality, "fresh" fish, meat and vegetables from the supermarket can be even more harmful than frozen ones.

The reason for this is that it can take weeks for products to reach the point of sale. Vegetables and fruits are cut long before they are ready and ripen during transportation, plus they are treated with compounds that prevent the formation of mold and the growth of microbes. Not to mention the fact that salmon grown in Chile will not physically survive to a supermarket in distant Russia without freezing.

How are frozen foods made?

In most cases, blast freezing is a typical method for the industrial production of frozen foods (including fruits, vegetables, fish and meat). Unlike a conventional refrigerating chamber, which requires up to 2-3 hours to freeze, aggressive blowing of food with a stream of air at a temperature of minus 35 ° C ensures freezing of the product in 20-30 minutes.

The main advantage of this technology is that shock freezing prevents the crystallization of ice and prevents the destruction of the texture of the product, being the most effective method to preserve freshness and original taste. It is also important that vegetables for shock freezing are cut at the peak and at the maximum level of ripening - unlike "fresh" vegetables from the supermarket.

Despite the fact that frozen vegetables undergo heat treatment before the freezing process - for example, green vegetables (primarily broccoli and green beans) are doused with boiling water and a solution of ascorbic acid to preserve their color - scientific studies show that this practically does not affect their vitamin and mineral profile.

In fact, part of the water-soluble vitamins (primarily vitamins of group B and ) lost during the process of shock freezing of products (2) would still be lost in the case of conventional cooking of vegetables - the aforementioned broccoli and green beans will have to be boiled before consumption. In turn, fresh-frozen meat does not differ from the usual one in terms of nutrient profile.

How to cook frozen food?

The best method for preparing frozen vegetables is steaming them in a double boiler or in a saucepan. After 5-7 minutes, the vegetables are ready to be used as an ingredient in dishes - for example, for frying or stewing with meat. Frozen green peas or corn can simply be boiled in boiling water for 2-3 minutes - the presence of the peel will protect against leaching of vitamins.

However, it is recommended to pre-thaw frozen meat and fish before cooking for several hours at room temperature (and it is best to defrost high-quality fish in a conventional refrigerator chamber). This will preserve the texture of the product - when defrosting beef or salmon in the microwave, they will become much more rigid.

Frozen vegetables - cons and harm

The main disadvantage of frozen foods is that they can only be thawed once. If, for any reason, vegetables, meat or fish are accidentally thawed in the supermarket and then "turned to ice" again, then the taste and texture of such products will be practically destroyed. This is especially critical for frozen fruits.

Also, when frozen semi-finished products are heated, unhealthy trans fats can form in their composition - however, we are talking exclusively about frozen burgers, lasagna, pizzas, nuggets and other fast food, which initially contain cheap and low-quality vegetable fats (for example, refined corn or).

Composition of frozen vegetable mixes

Note that the so-called "Hawaiian mixture" (such a frozen mixture includes rice, green peas, corn and sweet peppers) is extremely difficult to call a healthy or dietary product. The only source of vitamins in it is red pepper - neither corn, nor peas, nor, especially white rice, have them at all.

Unfortunately, the share of rice in such “vegetable” mixtures often exceeds the share of frozen vegetables, while such rice is frankly high. Carbohydrates also make up more than half of the mass of sweet corn, sweet peppers and baby peas. As a result, "Hawaiian Blend" is far from the healthiest choice for a frozen vegetable diet.

Frozen foods: how to buy the best?

Before buying frozen food, it is recommended to carefully study the packaging and the bag in which vegetables or meat are packed. The composition should list only “ordinary” ingredients (that is, the vegetables and fruits themselves), but not vegetable oils, starch, and other fast food companions - most often frozen semi-finished products will be worse than their fresh counterparts.

A bag of frozen vegetables should not resemble a piece of ice - if you cannot physically "feel" single fragments, in no case should you buy such a product. It is highly likely that it has been refrozen - in this case, the contents will be suitable only for making cream soup or casseroles, since the texture will be destroyed.

***

Despite the fact that frozen foods are often considered unhealthy, the vitamin content of freshly frozen vegetables is almost identical to regular ones. In turn, buying frozen meat and fish (especially salmon) is the only way to get a quality product thousands of kilometers from the place where animals are raised. However, it is important to defrost frozen meat carefully.

Scientific sources:

frozen food,
Frozen Vegetables Are Hot!,

In the modern world, women have very little time left for housekeeping. But you can't leave your family hungry. That is why frozen foods in colorful packaging are becoming more and more popular. However, not everyone knows about the dangers or benefits of such products.

Experts say that many vitamins are stored in frozen foods. After all, the time from the moment of harvesting vegetables to their freezing is as short as possible. This allows most of the vitamins to remain in the vegetables. However, some types of nutrients still die.

At very low temperatures, vitamins are oxidized. And so a frozen food dish becomes less healthy. However, this can be corrected. To do this, add fresh products to frozen vegetables. For example, onions, carrots and so on. Then the dish will turn out tasty and healthy.

When food is frozen, vitamin C decreases the most. This applies to cabbage, broccoli, peppers, green peas, and so on. Other vitamins are also reduced in frozen vegetables, but in smaller amounts. That is why it is not recommended to change fresh vegetables for frozen foods. Everyone understands that dumplings cannot be made only from pure meat. After all, the price of frozen dumplings does not match their filling. However, many people are tormented by the question of whether frozen foods with other fillings are healthy. Experts say that in products such as dumplings there is nothing but water dough and ordinary potatoes.

As for frozen pancakes, there are practically no harmful substances in them. However, this dough should not be consumed daily. In the dough from which pancakes are made, there are a lot of dyes, emulsifiers and stabilizers. These permitted nutritional supplements are required in order to mix multiple dry portions. However, this leads to the fact that a person does not receive the right amount of vitamins.

Many people wonder how long frozen food can be stored. The shelf life of frozen products is no more than six months. However, it must be remembered that the less the product is stored frozen, the better. After all, ice crystals destroy the structure of the product. For this reason, frozen foods that are stored for a long time lose vitamins and become useless for humans. Such products can only satisfy the feeling of hunger. But vitamins after eating frozen foods that have been stored for a long time, a person will not receive.

Carefully look at the packaging and the condition of the product before buying. If the food is stuck together, it may mean that it has already been thawed and refrozen. It is better to refuse such products. Also look at the quality of the packaging. Read the label on the frozen food packaging carefully. It should contain the manufacturer's address, product name, expiration date, date of manufacture, and so on. If the inscription on the product label is unclear or blurry, then it is better to refuse to purchase this product. Deep-frozen vegetables contain more vitamins than other frozen foods. Deep freezing occurs at a temperature of minus thirty-five degrees Celsius. This should be indicated on the packaging.

People who suffer from gastritis, stomach ulcers and other diseases associated with the gastrointestinal tract are advised to give up frozen food. In extreme cases, you can use frozen vegetables. However, they must be boiled, not fried. Never defrost food under hot water. This contributes to the reduction of vitamins in foods.

People who monitor their health, especially in the spring, think about the problem of beriberi. It is no secret that fresh vegetables that are stored in warehouses for a long time gradually lose their vitamins. But the stores sell a large number of frozen vegetables. Consider whether frozen vegetables are healthy and whether vitamins are present there.

What are the benefits of frozen vegetables

There is no point in eating frozen vegetables during the season when all natural fresh vegetables are rich in vitamins. But by the end of winter and spring they will be very useful. The fact is that when freezing vegetables are less lost than when they are stored for a long time in vegetable stores or at home. In addition, these vegetables do not contain preservatives, they are very easy to prepare, they retain their taste, they are low in calories.

After numerous various studies, it has been proven that frozen vegetables retain substances that are very valuable for the human body. The value of these substances was not recognized by scientists for a long time. This is sulforaphene - it helps prevent cancer; quercetin - helps to cope with various viruses; polyacetylenes, which are involved in cell regeneration. In large quantities, these substances are found in bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower.

In most cases, vegetables are exposed during freezing to the effects, and fast, of low temperatures. In this case, the fruits are very quickly forged. The water contained in vegetables simply does not have time to form into ice crystals that destroy cell membranes. That is why frozen vegetables retain their shape when frozen. In addition, vitamins are not destroyed in vegetables during quick freezing. For example, in vegetables that are stored indoors, under the influence of external factors, vitamin C loses its properties by 50-60%, and when frozen, only by 20-30%. Therefore, we can say with confidence that there are certainly benefits from frozen vegetables.

In which cases frozen vegetables retain more nutrients

You need to know that vegetables should be frozen only once, because when they are defrosted they lose vitamins and other useful substances. In addition, if you decide to cook such vegetables, then taking them out of the freezer, you should defrost them very quickly, otherwise they will darken, an unpleasant smell and taste will appear. This is because when defrosting, under the influence of light, trace elements, as well as vitamins, can disappear. Even better, cook frozen vegetables without defrosting, straight from the freezer into boiling water. In this case, you will get the maximum benefit from such products.

It is not recommended to wash frozen foods, as water spoils their taste and leaches a significant amount of vitamins. In addition, the less water used to boil frozen vegetables, the more nutrients will be retained. The steamer is ideal for cooking frozen vegetables.

Well, if you have the opportunity to freeze vegetables yourself. When doing this, you must ensure that frozen vegetables do not defrost. But what if we buy such products in the store? In this case, when buying them, you need to pay attention to the fact that the package is not softened, since no one knows how many times such a package of vegetables has been defrosted. In addition, you need to pay attention to when they were frozen. It happens that such products are stored for several years, but the more they are stored, the less useful properties they retain. And of course, the appearance of frozen vegetables can tell a lot. If the vegetables in the bag are crumbly and also not stuck together, then they were frozen only once. If the vegetables in the package are frozen in the form of a lump or a briquette, then this product has been defrosted several times, it is not clear how many times. The more times they were thawed, the less useful vegetables remained. Of course, there is no harm to health from them, but there is no benefit either.

Going to the supermarket for groceries, pay attention to the counters with frozen foods. Their assortment is quite diverse: vegetables and mixtures, berries, semi-finished products, nuggets, meatballs, fish.

Some consistently carry a cart of groceries past without even looking in the direction of frozen foods, while others, on the contrary, buy them in large quantities, sincerely believing that it is convenient: put it in the freezer and cook it when needed. Who is right anyway?

Together with nutritionists and experts in the field of proper nutrition, we decided to find out if frozen foods are as healthy as people think. Our joint verdict will surprise you!

Frozen foods are different

The first and most important rule to understand before you go shopping: frozen foods are different. On the shelves you can find vegetables and berries, fish, semi-finished products from poultry or meat. Not all of them are equally useful or, on the contrary, harmful.

Tatyana Rybakova:

When we think about what is better to buy fresh, we forget that fruits and vegetables that travel to from warm countries are ripened on the way, and transportation and storage also do not affect them very well, so no one can say for sure. which is more useful.

It is better to refrain from buying frozen convenience foods, that is, the so-called fast food. You cannot know for sure what kind of food such food was prepared from. It is better to spend a little more time, but be sure that the dish on your table is healthy and tasty.

Vegetables and berries, on the contrary, can and should be bought. Modern technologies make it possible to preserve the maximum benefit and useful substances in them. This is exactly what you need to make up for the deficiency of vitamins in the winter season and off-season. Feel free to cook vegetables as a side dish and add berries to natural yogurt.

Tatyana Rybakova:

Cold is probably the best preservative that has ever been invented, thanks to proper freezing, the main useful components of the product are preserved.

If you are not already doing this, then it's time to fix it: be sure to read the information on the package. There you can find a lot of interesting things and decide whether to choose a particular product for your diet.

Frozen products differ markedly in composition. The same product from a different manufacturer can be frozen using a completely different technology. Berries, for example, can be frozen without any additives, or mixed with sugar and other preservatives. Of course, in this case, preference should be given to the first option. This is the most natural product, which still contains nutrients.

Anastasia Belaya:

nutritionist, wellness coach, certified "Sports Nutritionist" at the College of Fitness and Bodybuilding. Ben Vader

Frozen foods Frozen foods are different! If we are talking about pizza, dumplings and dumplings, then undoubtedly, I am against the use of this "food garbage". If we are talking about frozen vegetables, berries, fish and seafood, meat, then there is nothing dangerous or harmful in their use.

Pay attention to the expiration date

Shelf life is a rather important characteristic when it comes to frozen foods. Such food appears on the shelves after special processing, and not fresh. This implies special technologies not only for freezing, but also for transportation along with subsequent storage.

Anastasia Belaya:

The current shock freezing technologies allow maximum preservation of all microelements. Of course, frozen foods do not carry their original usefulness, some vitamins are still lost, but by combining them with seasonal fruits, you will definitely eat well.

Choose the right cooking method

There is nothing harmful in the frozen foods that we mentioned above, but it is important not only to choose these foods correctly, but also to cook them correctly. Only in this case, you will really be able to keep useful and nutritious substances in their composition and not turn these products into "forbidden" foods.

Steam or boil shrimp in boiling water instead of frying. Vegetables can also be steamed or steamed rather than fried in oil. Then your diet will be healthy and healthy. And one more important rule: even if you managed to buy excellent quality frozen foods, do not try to replace fresh fruits with them. Remember that there is a time for everything, and every product has its own season.

If you buy frozen fish, then this is forgivable, but buy frozen vegetables and berries only when they are not on the shelves, that is, in autumn, winter and spring. In the summer, opt for fresh fruit over frozen foods.

Tatyana Rybakova:

Today, there are many frozen vegetables in stores. But are they worth buying? What frozen vegetables bring to the body, benefit or harm, this article will tell.

Frozen vegetables or imported fresh?

Austrian scientists have proven that frozen vegetables such as peas, beans, cauliflower, carrots and corn contain more vitamins than fresh vegetables imported from warm countries.

Frozen vegetables for weight loss

Thanks to some research, diets have appeared that are based on frozen vegetables. Especially such diets are relevant in winter, when there is no access to fresh natural vegetables. While following such a nutrition system, it is enough to eat 2 servings of stewed vegetables, one of which replaces dinner. Such a diet is effective only if high-calorie foods, sweet and starchy foods are excluded.

With a quick freezing of vegetables, the vitamin composition remains almost unchanged. Only the level of ascorbic acid, vitamin C, decreases. And vitamins B1 and B2 remain completely in frozen foods. How many calories in frozen vegetables depends on the calorie content of the fresh product. Most vegetables contain relatively few calories. The freezing process practically does not change the calorie content of vegetable products, and on average it is 50 kcal.

Benefits of quality frozen vegetables

Such vegetables do not need to be washed and with their help you can quickly prepare a variety of dishes. These vegetables are low in calories, so they can be used in dietary nutrition. If you buy vegetables not in bags, but by weight, they can be combined with fresh vegetables and herbs, such as onions, carrots, dill and parsley.

How to cook vegetables properly?

The benefits of frozen vegetables will be less if they are reheated or stored for a long time. Ready vegetable dishes should be stored for no more than three hours. Therefore, it is better to cook from frozen vegetables for a single use. Boiled vegetables retain more vitamins than fried ones. Salting a dish of vegetables is better not immediately, but 10 minutes before cooking. So the products will retain more minerals.

Contraindications for frozen vegetables

The main harm that frozen vegetables can bring is not in the frozen product itself, but in the food additives that some manufacturers use to prepare them. Passing through industrial freezing, vegetables are heat-treated. As a result, they lose their attractive bright color. In order to restore color and make the taste more vivid, manufacturers use food additives.

Frozen vegetable mix - a set of peeled and processed vegetables that have undergone shock or conventional freezing. The blanks have a long shelf life - from 6 months to one and a half years. In the process of freezing, vegetables retain vitamins and nutrients without losing their taste.

Types of frozen vegetable mixes

Depending on the composition of the vegetable set, the mixtures are divided into several types:

Homogeneous. There is only one ingredient in the frozen mix.
Assorted. The mixture consists of several types of vegetables.
Ready meals. Another name for such mixtures is semi-finished products. The composition contains the necessary set of products for the preparation of a particular dish.

Composition of frozen vegetable mix

Lecho:

tomato;
vegetable marrow;
carrot;
paprika or any sweet pepper.

mexican:

carrot;
green beans;
polka dots,
corn;
celery;
red beans;
pepper.

Hawaiian:

corn;
green pea;
pepper.

Guvech:

okra;
eggplant;
Bell pepper;
tomato;

Ratatouille:

tomato;
zucchini;
Bell pepper;
vegetable marrow;

Paprikash:

pepper;
vegetable marrow;
green bean;
tomato;

Frozen vegetable mixes benefits and harms

During freezing, all the beneficial substances found in vegetables and herbs are preserved. All mixtures contain all vitamins and microelements necessary for a person. Both fresh and frozen vegetables contain vitamins B and C, potassium, calcium, and other useful substances.

All frozen vegetable mixes help improve appetite, improve the functioning of the digestive system and normalize metabolism.

Frozen vegetable mixes can't be harmful. They save from beriberi and increase immunity. With individual intolerance to one of the products, you should very carefully study the composition of the mixture or make it yourself.

All mixtures are low-calorie. They are suitable for dietary and baby food.

How to make frozen vegetable mix

At home, you can independently invent and make various combinations of vegetables. Cabbage, carrots, beets, greens and onions can be put in the preparation for borscht. You can make a simpler mixture of beets, onions and carrots. If desired, you can freeze all the vegetables separately and mix them just before cooking.

Preparing frozen vegetable mix:

All vegetables should be carefully sorted out, rotten and spoiled should be removed.
Wash, peel, cut. Suitable for cutting vegetables: knife, grater, vegetable cutter.
Blanching. Needed to preserve the color, flavor and texture of some vegetables.
Dip the vegetables in boiling water for a few seconds, drain in a colander, and dry.
Transfer to a storage container: plastic container, freezer bags.
It is advisable to use vegetables within 1 year.

Advice! Write the date of preparation of the mixture on the outside of the bag or container. So the vegetables will not be stale for a long time.

Put the prepared mixture of vegetables in the freezer.

Energy value of the product (ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates):

Proteins: 1.1g. (4.4 kcal)

Fats: 0.2g (1.8 kcal)

Carbs: 2.7g (10.8 kcal)

Energy ratio (b|g|y): 8% | 3% | 21%

Freezing is one of the many ways to store food. Firstly, this method is quite simple, and secondly, it is effective: if the products are frozen and stored at a low temperature, vitamins in them will be preserved almost completely, and this is very important.

Let's see how frozen vegetables are useful

Thanks to freezing - you can eat vegetables all year round, besides, they taste no worse than fresh vegetables just picked from the garden. However, why, then, can sometimes be found statements that such vegetables are unhealthy?

So, usually vegetables that are intended for freezing are not processed immediately, but a couple of hours after harvest. Of course, at the same time, the amount of vitamins in vegetables has time to decrease. That's just compared to vegetables that have made their way from the place of collection to the store, frozen vegetables lose much less vitamins. The fact that there are much fewer vitamins in store-bought vegetables than in frozen ones is also confirmed by laboratory studies. Moreover, this difference is much greater in winter, since then most of the vegetables that are sold in the store are brought there from southern countries.

Frozen vegetables are not only an excellent source of vitamins, they also improve appetite and digestion. Frozen vegetables can be both boiled and fried, and stewed - and they can be used not only as a side dish, but also as a separate dish. In Russia, the most popular frozen vegetables are beans, mixed vegetables, and various types of cabbage.

In order to freeze vegetables yourself, you can use either a plastic bag or any container with a lid. However, bags are more suitable for storing vegetable slices, but in a container, unlike it, there is the possibility of storing whole vegetables.

Possible harm from using frozen vegetables

So let's now find out if frozen vegetables can cause any harm to our health. In fact, this can happen, but only if you first took the frozen vegetables out of the freezer, they thawed, and you refrozen them. The fact is that it is impossible to re-freeze vegetables - otherwise, vegetables can deteriorate and, if eaten, cause food poisoning. It is also important to remember that frozen vegetables must be stored at a low temperature. If you follow these two simple rules, then frozen vegetables will only benefit, and no harm. And we advise you to read our article about what sweets are useful.

Be healthy!

Here's an opinion Head of the Laboratory of Food Additives of the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences A. N. Zaitsev:

- Experts consider freezing the best way to preserve. No wonder today it has become perhaps the most popular all over the world. By the way, the secret of "berries with ice" is well known to the inhabitants of the North of Russia, who have kept cranberries and lingonberries frozen since time immemorial. Fast freezing technology allows you to almost completely preserve vitamins and minerals. Both the taste and nutritional value of frozen vegetables and fruits are not inferior to fresh ones. But under two conditions. First, you need to store them in the freezer. Secondly, it is impossible to thaw and then freeze again, otherwise the products may deteriorate and even cause poisoning.

colorful soup

Vegetable soups from "frozen" improve digestion, appetite, increase the tone of the body. Cut and fry 1-2 onions in vegetable oil until golden brown. Put the vegetable mixture of green peas and carrots in a weak broth. Bring to a boil. A few minutes before cooking, add the onion.

Magnificent quartet

Dip a mixture of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots into boiling water and boil until tender. Add salt and spices to taste. Mushrooms, without defrosting, simmer with onions over low heat for 7-10 minutes. Mix mushrooms with vegetables and serve as a side dish (then the meat is better and faster absorbed) or an independent dish. It contains a lot of fiber, which removes excess cholesterol, as well as a complex of minerals important for health.

vegetable mosaic

Tired? Want to rejuvenate? Remove swelling, lose weight? Include vegetables in your diet.

Frozen cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, green peas and fresh tomatoes (proportions - to taste) stew in vegetable oil, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes over low heat. Add cloves to taste. Before serving, garnish with finely chopped parsley.

Desserts "Dreams of Summer"

Cherry jelly. Soak gelatin in water for 25-30 minutes. When it swells, squeeze it out. Dip the cherry in boiling water. Wait until the water boils again, add sugar syrup, strain. Then add gelatin and stir. Arrange the berries in molds, pour over the syrup and set to harden in a cool place. Add some wine and lemon juice to the jelly for flavor.

For 0.5 kg of cherries - 0.5 l of water, 250 g of granulated sugar, 1/2 cup of dry white wine or liquor, 1/2 tbsp. tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 tbsp. tablespoons of gelatin

Berry mousse. Let the berries thaw slightly and make a puree from them: mash and rub through a sieve. Pour the pomace with hot water, boil for 5-7 minutes, strain. Put granulated sugar, pre-soaked gelatin into the berry broth and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Then cool, add berry puree and beat until a homogeneous mass is formed (it should increase in volume by 2 times, for this it is better to beat in a cool place). Pour the finished mousse into molds and refrigerate. Garnish with slices of fresh or canned berries and fruits.

For 1 cup of berries - 2 cups of water, 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, 15 g of gelatin.

Where are vitamins stored?

Home-made preparations may well replenish the stock of vitamins that was pretty much wasted over the winter. True, the preservation of nutrients is significantly affected by the method of preserving vegetables and fruits.

like a cucumber

Salting and pickling allow you to save almost all the vitamins and minerals that are found in fresh vegetables. At the same time, some canned vegetables turn out to be even more useful than the “source raw materials”. A classic example is sauerkraut. Lactic acid bacteria, which are released during fermentation, allow you to completely preserve all the vitamins, while in fresh cabbage some of the vitamins are destroyed during storage. And cabbage pickle is a wonderful prophylactic for gastritis with high acidity and a real helper for those who want to lose extra pounds. The fact is that cabbage brine contains substances that prevent the conversion of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat.

Soaked apples are also sometimes healthier than their fresh counterparts. If fresh apples lie down for at least a couple of weeks, they lose approximately one third of the vitamin C they contain, while ascorbic acid is completely preserved in soaked apples.

However, it is better for heart patients and hypertensive patients not to abuse pickles and marinades. These canned foods contain too much salt, and this can lead to high blood pressure. Spicy snacks such as lecho, pickled tomatoes and peppers are contraindicated for people suffering from gastritis and peptic ulcer.

The fly sat on the jam

Unfortunately, during cooking, fruits and berries lose approximately 30% of their vitamins. But on the other hand, jams and compotes contain quite a lot of fiber and pectins. These substances reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the blood and improve digestion. But lovers of the so-called raw jam, for the preparation of which the berries are not boiled, but simply ground with sugar, the lack of vitamins does not threaten - this method of canning allows you to save most of the nutrients.

But if you are overweight or suffer from diabetes, it is better to refuse sweet jams, preserves and compotes.

Shrinkage and shrinkage

But dried fruits and berries are far from the richest source of vitamins. However, there are pleasant exceptions. Dried rose hips contain a large amount of ascorbic acid, and prunes and dried apricots contain a lot of potassium useful for the heart and blood vessels. But if you want to lose weight, you should not lean too much on dried fruits - dried fruits are very high in calories.

By the way

Freezer is better! Frozen vegetables are often healthier than imported "fresh" ones sold in supermarkets out of season, according to a new study by Austrian scientists.

Researchers say fresh-looking vegetables that travel a long way before hitting the shelves lose a lot of their vitamins and minerals. Frozen vegetables, on the other hand, are often processed only a few hours after being harvested, and their nutritional value is preserved. Scientists compared the nutritional value of frozen foods and imported fresh vegetables sold in the winter. The content of vitamins in frozen peas, cauliflower, beans, corn and carrots turned out to be much higher than in imported fresh vegetables from Italy, Spain, Turkey and Israel.

Personal opinion

Aziza, singer

- I do not consider frozen vegetables and fruits to be particularly useful, but, of course, I sometimes use them. For example, my favorite cherry pie in winter can only be made from frozen berries, which I always keep in the refrigerator. But frozen corn, green peas, it seems to me, have previously undergone some kind of heat treatment. Therefore, it is better to still use vegetables that you harvest yourself. For example, my aunt and I freeze bell peppers for the winter, which we collect in large quantities in the country.