Photo by Devin Rajaram

March is frozen food month and a good time to highlight the many benefits of frozen foods.

• Frozen foods do not require preservatives because microorganisms don’t grow below 15 degrees F or -9.5 degrees C
• Frozen foods contain the same amount of nutrition as fresh foods(sometimes even more as fresh food put away in the refrigerator will lose nutrients with time). A 2 year study looked at the nutritional value of fresh versus frozen foods and found in some situations that frozen produce was more nutritious than its 5-day fresh-stored counterpart.
• Cost is usually cheaper than fresh food
• More convenient

Some things to pay attention to:

• If you are freezing food, make sure to use freezer bags, using packaging not meant for freezing will invite bacteria inside
• Read ingredients of what you get especially for ready made frozen meals. For example, you don’t want to stalk up on high sodium meals.

Garden fresh fruits and vegetables are awesome but not always feasible, especially for those of us who don’t live in tropical weather and have year long gardens. Eating healthy is important and choosing wisely what you eat can go a long way by forming good habits for you and your family.