Free photo 1372789 © Nsilcock – Dreamstime.com
Fruits are a colorful part of everyone’s diet. They are high in fiber, water, vitamin C, and sugars. Fruits contains many “sugars” such as fructose, which is one of the building blocks in maintaining the structural and functional integrity in the body. Fruits contain carbohydrates, which is one of the primary sources of energy for all cells. This may explain why fruits such as bananas are eaten as a pre-workout meal. It gives the body the fuel needed for the stress it undergoes while exercising. Bananas contain several health benefits as I explain here.
However, there is a question that many people have been wondering: Are fresh fruits more nutritious than frozen foods?
The honest answer is that it depends on the circumstances. However, frozen fruits tend to have more nutritional value than fresh fruits. There are several differences between fresh and frozen foods.
Fresh fruits that are sent to markets are usually picked while it is under ripe to avoid damage while it is sent out to different locations. This means that when the fruits are picked, they have not reached its peak nutrition. During the packaging and travel time, the nutritional content of the fruits begins to deteriorate. It takes several days for the fruits to reach their destinations. When a person purchases the fruit, it may sit in the refrigerator for even more days until it is finally eaten.
(Free photo 2322536 © Olena Vasylkova – Dreamstime.com)
On the other hand, frozen fruit is picked when it has reached its peak nutritional value and are immediately frozen thereafter. Although freezing the fruit may lead to the loss of some of its vitamins, most of the nutrition is essentially locked in. Frozen fruits can be found to be cheaper than fresh fruits, especially at times when the fruits are not in season.
Frozen fruits can be seen as a healthy and more economic alternative to fresh fruits. However, nothing can beat purchasing organic fruits from a local farmers market where they are picked and sold on the same day, or picking fruits from your own garden.
Stay Humble,
Ivy ~
Resources:
http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/fresh_vs_frozen_vegetables_are_we_giving_up_nutrition_fo
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/reasons-buy-frozen-fruits-veggies/story?id=20683879#
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814697001659
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0260877405004462
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf020936m
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jsfa.2825
