Frozen Finds: A Guide to Shopping Smart in the Frozen Section

MNDGP student blog by Vanessa Seuferer

 

Let’s face it- frozen foods have had a bad reputation for being high in sugar, high in sodium, and “not as healthy” as fresh produce. Now it’s time to defrost the truth. Frozen foods can actually help you save time on meal prepping, cut down food waste, and even reduce your grocery bill! In fact, in a two-week long experiment, 18 out of 20 families found that frozen ingredients are almost 30% better value than fresh, and across the study there was a total saving of $996.11 when using frozen ingredients (Adcock, 2023). By the end of this blog, you’ll be walking down the freezer aisle with fresh eyes and a whole new perspective! Ready to rethink your freezer? Let’s dive in!

A big misconception about frozen food is that they are less nutritious than fresh. But here’s the cold, hard truth: freezing fruits and vegetables actually help preserve their nutrition! Fruits and vegetables are picked at their peak ripeness and flash-frozen, which contains all the antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. On the other hand, fresh produce is picked early so it can survive transportation and by the time you purchase it at the store it may already be losing its nutritional value (Jane, 2017).

It is important to look at the ingredients list when reviewing the label.  For example, if you’re buying frozen broccoli, make sure the only ingredient is broccoli. When reading the ingredients label make sure you check for any added sugars, by purchasing “unsweetened” versions. While looking at the ingredients, you can also check the sodium content. Sometimes frozen veggies will have seasonings or sauces on them, which usually increases the sodium content. If you like seasoned veggies, you can always buy plain frozen vegetables and add your own seasoning at home. A great option for extra flavor is Mrs. Dash seasoning, there are a variety of different flavors such as original and lemon pepper! Mrs. Dash adds flavor without increasing the sodium content of your food!

Don’t forget about frozen protein options! Frozen meats are amazing to keep in your freezer as a great way to add extra protein to your meal. Some options include frozen chicken breasts, shrimp, and white fish or salmon. Be mindful about breaded or heavily seasoned meats, these often contain more sodium. Look for minimal seasoned items so you can add your own flavor at home!

Now let’s talk about meal prepping. Sometimes it takes at least two hours or longer to meal prep for the week, now imagine if it only took 45 minutes or less. Think about it, frozen foods don’t need to be washed, peeled, or chopped, they just need to be warmed up! Another great benefit of using frozen ingredients is that you could easily make double or triple the amount of food for later in the week in just a short amount of time.

A quick and easy stir-fry using frozen ingredients:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb frozen boneless chicken breasts (thawed) and sliced into bite sized pieces

• 3/4cup chicken broth
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2.5 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp minced fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4-6 cups of frozen vegetables

Instructions

• In a medium bowl whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, cornstarch, ginger, garlic and pepper flakes if using.
• Wash and prepare vegetables by chopping into bite sized pieces.
• Place chicken, along with only 4 tablespoons of marinade in separate bowl or bag and let marinate for 15 minutes.

(happymoneysaver, 2023).

Not only are frozen foods great for meal prepping, but they also help reduce food waste! In fact, the average American household of four is throwing away $120 each month in the form of uneaten food (Gunders, 2022). But there is a way to reverse this! Frozen foods have a way longer shelf life than fresh produce and they also help with portion control. If you only need a cup of berries, take a cup and put the rest back, no harm done!

Frozen food doesn’t deserve a bad reputation, by switching over to frozen ingredients you can save time and money on meal prepping, cut down on food waste, and still make super nutritious meals. Nutritious, convenient, and budget-friendly meals are closer than you think – often just a freezer door away.

 

Resources

Brown, M. J. (2017, June 15). Fresh vs frozen fruit and vegetables – which are healthier?. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fresh-vs-frozen-fruit-and-vegetables

Adcock, P. (2023, May 9). Shoppers reduce their waste by nearly half (47.5%) by buying frozen food. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/shoppers-reduce-waste-nearly-half-475-buying-frozen-food-adcock-cmrs

Freeze more. waste less. (n.d.). https://www.nrdc.org/stories/freeze-more-waste-less

Karrie. (2023, March 9). Homemade freezer stir Fry Meal. Happy Money Saver. https://happymoneysaver.com/homemade-freezer-stir-fry/

RD, C. J. (2018, July 1). Dietitian’s guide to navigating the frozen food aisle at the grocery store. Chef Julie Lopez, RD. https://chefjulierd.com/navigating-frozen-aisle-grocery-store/