Some of the benefits of frozen food may surprise you. While there’s a lot to be said about eating fresh foods there are plenty of valid reasons that means there’s no need to avoid frozen food. Following a process engineered by Clarence Birdseye, freezers and frozen food have become regular features in Western homes. I personally couldn’t manage without my freezer so here I am, to convince you of 9 Cool Benefits of Frozen Food:
Snapshot Survey
Snapshot Survey
1. Free from Preservatives
Unlike many of the processed foods that increasingly make up a major part of western diets, frozen food does not require preservatives. It is a wholly natural process that simply takes a reduction in temperature and packaging.
2. Freshness and Nutrition
As you peruse the stacks of ‘fresh’ vegetables, do you ever wonder how long it was since they were picked? Unprepared vegetables don’t have a use by date so you have no idea how long ago the fruit or vegetable has been hanging around since being plucked from the branch or dug up. One of the little thought of benefits of frozen food is that the freezing process is short, sharp and fast. Vegetables are usually frozen within hours of being harvested. This also means there is minimum attrition of vitamins and minerals so there is a definite nutritional benefit to frozen food.
3. No Seasonal Boundaries
As our palates are constantly being tempted to extend the range of foods we eat we have also grown used to eating the fruit and vegetables we want, whenever we want them. This is in part made better by freezing, because seasonal crops that are frozen during times when ripening is natural, tend to be better tasting, than those forced versions grown out of season. Frozen food also makes seasonal food more affordable throughout the year.
4. Food Safety
The freezing process can and does reduce the number of potentially harmful bacteria which can cause food poisoning. As long as you store the food correctly and follow directions for thawing and cooking, frozen food is extremely safe.
5. Less Wastage
Did you know that 7 in 10 households regularly throw away up to 20 items of fresh/chilled food straight into the bin every month? Think how much that is hammering your budget. Frozen food is easy to keep and easy to use. There’s also so much less wastage. Think about it, when you buy a pound of frozen cauliflower, you get 1lb of cauliflower florets all ready to throw in the pan. Buy a fresh cauliflower weighing 1lb and by the time you’ve stripped off the leaves and chopped out the tough stalks you’re left with anything between 8-12 ozs.
6. Flexibility and Convenience
Whether you’re cooking for yourself or a large family, with a freezer you should always have a quick and convenient way of fixing a nutritious meal. Meal planning is made so much more flexible because frozen food is generally cheaper than fresh and can be stored for longer.
There are also some really important environmental benefits of frozen food:
7. Sustainability
The world’s favorite eating fish stocks are greatly threatened thanks to over fishing. The frozen fish companies though, have an environmental conscience, and most use sustainable fisheries as their product sources.
8. Carbon Footprint Reduction
Probably something you have never associated with frozen food is that you can help the planet. Buying frozen food means you can take fewer trips to get groceries, thereby reducing your individual carbon footprint.
9. Better Crop Management
Before frozen food became a way of life, any excess fresh crops were simply wasted, thrown away or ploughed back into the ground. Freezing has meant that farmers can sell entire harvests.
I don’t know about you, but I’m always amazed when something humble or that we pretty much take for granted turns up with some astonishing facts. I read that, according to one UK Food Agency, if us Brits stopped chucking away the food we buy, it would have the same impact on our carbon emissions as taking 1 in 5 cars off the United Kingdom’s roads! Who’d have thought. I hope these benefits of frozen food have given you, well, food for thought!
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