It is a myth that ready-to-cook recipes are unhealthy. In reality, freezing locks freshness, flavour and nutrients
Everyone today is quite health conscious. But lifestyles do not permit one to spend much time in kitchen and do everything from chopping, boiling, cooking. Health cannot be compromised either. Many people have started moving towards frozen food. But there are still many who believe that frozen food is not fresh, that it always contains preservatives and that it is unhealthy. So here are the myths and facts related to frozen food.
Myth: Fresh is fresh because you just bought it from market.
Fact: Fresh fruits and vegetables may not be consumed for a significant length of time following harvest, during which nutrient degradation may occur. Vitamin C is water soluble and sensitive to heat, light and oxygen, making it susceptible to loss during both home cooking of fresh fruits and vegetables and thermal processing. For that reason, loss of vitamin C is often used as an index of nutrient degradation. Refrigeration slows the deterioration of vitamin C.
Myth: Frozen food is not fresh.
Fact: In reality, freezing locks in freshness, flavour and nutrients. Frozen food may be even more nutritious than some of their fresh counterparts available in market because frozen foods are often processed at their peak ripeness, a time when they are packed with nutrients.
Myth: Freeze anywhere.
Fact: The door of the freezer is a handy place to store frozen item but not always the best place for long-term storage. Due to frequent opening of the door, the temperature near the door fluctuates every time the door is opened. This could slow the freezing process, opening up larger ice crystals to form inside the food. Consequently, those vitamins that are heat sensitive could be degraded by freeze thaw cycles. For best flavour, nutrition, quality and food safety, it is best to store frozen foods towards the back of the freezer where temperature is less likely to fluctuate.
Myth: All frozen foods contain preservatives.
Fact: Preservatives are not necessary to preserve frozen food. Freezing in itself is a natural preservative. In fact, many of your favourite frozen foods, like frozen French fries are free from preservatives.
Myth: Fresh vegetables are healthier than frozen.
Fact: While produce at your local vendor’s shop might appear fresher, many of them are actually picked days or weeks in advance. Quality content and nutrition is lost in the process. Post that, they are transported to various markets. The more time taken for the produce to reach you, the greater is the loss of nutrients. Frozen vegetables, on the other hand, can be flash-frozen. Flash-freezing is a process that quickly freezes vegetables. This locks the nutrition, flavour and quality content of vegetables.
Myth: Ready-to-cook frozen foods is high on cholesterol and trans-fat .
Fact: This depends on products. Many frozen snacks companies use only non-hydrogenated vegetable oil. They are therefore free from cholesterol and trans-fat.
courtesy McCain Foods