Australian State Media
Is fresh produce better than tinned and frozen fruit and veg? Not always, these experts say
As inflation drives prices up, many Australians are looking to cut costs at the supermarket.
Experts say opting for cheaper tinned or frozen items can be just as healthy as pricey fresh produce — and in some cases, even healthier.
Frozen can be better than fresh
Accredited practising dietician from Nutrition Australia Leanne Elliston says that, from a health perspective, frozen food can sometimes be better for you than some products sold as "fresh" on supermarket shelves.
That's particularly true for food that's not in season, because those items are sometimes transported a long way and the nutrients inside them can break down during that long travel time.
Ms Elliston says water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C are particularly bad for this.
So you may get a "fresh" orange, but because of the long time between that piece of fruit being picked and you eating it, it might have lost some of its nutritional benefits.
But Ms Elliston said frozen produce didn't have this problem.
"The nutrients are locked in that frozen state and they don't degrade like fresh produce," she says.
Accredited practising dietitian and spokesperson for Dietitians Australia Anika Rouf said most of the frozen fruit and vegetables in our supermarkets is snap-frozen.
"They're frozen as soon as they’re picked," Dr Rouf said.
"So their nutrient density is a lot better than getting something that has been sitting in the supermarket for a week."
What about canned goods?
Tinned fruit and veggies often get a bad wrap, but Ms Elliston said there can be a lot of nutritional goodness in those cans.
She's a big fan of tinned corn and tinned tomatoes as quick and convenient ways to up the fibre content of dishes like soups, casseroles, and curries.
And she says tinned legumes like chickpeas and lentils can help bulk out meat dishes — think spaghetti bolognese — to spread them out to more meals.
However, she says, you just have to be mindful of the additives.
Tinned fruit
What to look for: Fruit in juice
Sometimes canned fruit is in the juice of a different fruit, often apple or pear juice, but the juice is less likely to have added sugar than other tinned fruits.
What to avoid: Fruit in syrup
"That's just going to be sugar and water," Ms Elliston said.
She points out that, just because the fruit comes in syrup or juice, you don't need to consume it — you can drain it out and just eat the fruit inside.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-14/fresh-produce-frozen-and-tinned-veggies-nutrition/101059496