Fruits or Veggies - Fresh, Frozen or Canned?

Based on extensive research, plus studies of healthy indigenous people, most all nutritional scientists agree that we should eat more fruits and vegetables. The National Cancer Institute now recommends nine servings a day. So what’s the best way to buy fruits and veggies – fresh, frozen or canned?

While fresh is always your best choice, supermarket produce is far from fresh picked. The food often spends many days being shipped across country and around the world and then sits for long periods on store shelves. During this time produce loses considerable nutritional value.

Whenever possible, it’s preferable to buy locally grown organic fresh fruits and vegetables that come to you straight from the garden. Organic produce, picked when ripe, is more nutritious, better tasting and best for both you and the environment. You can often find good bargain prices from local farmers or community co-ops. If you don’t have a co-op, consider starting one.

When good quality fresh produce is not available, (for instance, during winter months), canned should be your last choice. The canning process used to kill bacteria destroys vitally important vitamins, enzymes and phytonutrients. Canned fruits and vegetables are also often high in unhealthy amounts of salt or sugars – sometimes both.

You’re better off choosing frozen, which is usually washed, flash frozen and refrigerated within 24 hours of being picked. This helps preserve the nutritional value, stops chances of spoiling and is a convenient way to store perishable foods. You can even buy organic grown frozen produce at health food supermarkets. The price is usually higher, but it’s well worth it. Just make sure the vegetables aren’t swimming in “organic” cheese or cream sauce.

By taking time to plan, you just might be able to schedule more fruits and veggies into your busy life – maybe even nine servings a day.

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Note: The information contained on this website is not intended to be prescriptive. Any attempt to diagnose or treat an illness should come under the direction of a physician who is familiar with nutritional therapy.