Frozen vs fresh

The health benefits of frozen food

Ignoring turkey twizzlers and chicken nuggets, some frozen foods can have many great health benefits over buying fresh foods. Many frozen processed foods contain additives and very little in the way of goodness, however, freezing fresh foods immediately after picking them can be better for you.

"Freezing is a natural form of preservation and does not usually require the use of any preservatives" says Dr Sarah Schenker of the British Nutrition Foundation.

"Frozen frtuis and vegetables are harvested at the peak of freshness and frozen within hours of picking which locks in nutrients. By comparison, fresh produce may have lost valuable nutrients during transportation or storage."

Often, vegetabls such as peas and brussel sprouts are frozen within hours of harvesting and as a result can ccontain higher levels of vitamins. Evidence suggests that spinach loses 75% of its vitamin C within 2 days of picking, while freezing only loses about 25%.

Fish that is frozen at sea will preserve its freshness compared to so called 'fresh'. 'The boat may have taken three days to sail to the fishing grounds then been fishing for up to seven days followed by a three-day sail back to the port' Says Brian Young of the British Frozen Food Federation. 'With the processing and distribution time, fish sold as fresh could be 14 days old by the time it reaches the supermarkets.

Freezing tips:

• Your freezer temperature should be -18c to keep food safe
• Freeze in small portions so food cools faster and thaws faster
• Use microwave safe cling film if you intend to defrost or cook the item in the microwave