The steep cost of fresh, organic produce can deter shoppers who want to eat well but must watch their budgets.
“I’ve heard many of my clients say they don’t eat fruits and vegetables because organic options are too expensive,” said Wendy Wesley, a registered dietitian and nutritionist based in St. Petersburg, Florida.
A budget-friendlier choice: frozen fruits and vegetables.
The produce found in the frozen foods section of your supermarket is frequently harvested and frozen at peak ripeness. In many cases, that makes them effectively fresher than some items that endure long trips from farms to stores and then to your countertop.
From a nutritional perspective, frozen produce poses no disadvantage, Wesley noted.
Plus, frozen produce often helps cut food waste. Frozen berries and green beans, for instance, can remain usable for up to a year in the freezer. If you leave the fresh versions in the refrigerator for more than a week, you may wind up with moldy berries and limp green beans that have to be discarded.
“For a long time, I bought only fresh produce,” Wesley said. “I ended up wasting a lot because life got hectic and I didn’t use it in time. That’s when I started recommending frozen vegetables.”
The major benefit of frozen fruits and vegetables is that they’re ready when you are, Wesley added. Fresh produce, by contrast, comes with a ticking clock to eat it before it spoils.
She explained that people who keep their preferred produce in the freezer tend to consume more fruits and vegetables. For the healthiest results, choose frozen options without added sauces or seasonings, which can raise saturated fat and sodium levels.
Another advantage of stocking frozen produce is cost-effective access to out-of-season items. You can make a peach cobbler in midwinter using frozen peaches, rather than paying extra for out-of-season fresh peaches.
Opting for frozen over fresh also increases the likelihood of finding manufacturer or store coupons to lower the cost. Remember, though, there’s often little to no difference between generic frozen produce and name-brand versions — and opting for the cheaper store brand can usually save you money.
“A broccoli floret is a broccoli floret whether it’s store brand or Birds Eye,” Wesley said. “It’s a single-ingredient food. It is a broccoli floret. Period. End of story.”
Nicole Santos is a senior writer at Savinly.
