MONDAY, Feb. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Fruits and veggies are great ways to get important nutrients, try new tastes, and add low-calorie sides to your meals.
When fresh isn't available or affordable, frozen is a healthy option.
Look for fresh-frozen fruits and vegetables that have been properly stored, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends. Packages should feel firm. They shouldn't be limp, wet or sweating, which are signs of thawing.
However, when choosing vegetables and fruits sold in bags, you should be able to feel individual pieces, not large solid blocks of food, which could signal that the contents thawed and re-froze. Avoid stained packages or any with visible ice crystals, other signs of defrosting and re-freezing.
Choose plain frozen vegetables without any butter, sauce or added salt. Choose plain frozen fruit without any added sugar. These are also the best options when adding the food to a recipe.
Look for U.S. grade standards that measure quality. These are optional, so they're not always printed on the package. But when they are, Grade A fancy vegetables have the most color and tenderness. Grade B aren't quite as perfect and have a more mature, slightly different taste. Grade C are less uniform in color and flavor but are fine for soups and stews.
Grade A fruits are near picture-perfect. Grade B, the most common fruit grade, signals very good quality. Grade C fruits may be less uniform and not as sweet, but they're fine for cooked dishes and purees.
At home, store your frozen foods at zero degrees or lower. If you buy bulk sizes, take only what you need out of the package and put the rest back in the freezer before the food starts to thaw. When you'll be using an entire package, it's fine to thaw the food in its original package in the fridge or, for faster thawing, in a bowl of cold water on the counter on in the microwave according to package directions.
Frozen veggies are usually blanched before freezing to better hold their color and flavor. Whether you're eating them plain or using them in a recipe, this makes your overall cooking time shorter than if you were using fresh vegetables.
Fruit is washed before freezing, so there's little or no prep work needed. Toss still-frozen chunks right into the blender for a frosty smoothie. While you can microwave frozen fruit if you're in a hurry, thawing it in the fridge or a bowl of cold water will better preserve its appearance.
More information
Learn more about the grades and standards of vegetables and the grades and standards of fruits at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
There's nothing quite as delicious as a freshly-picked vegetable pulled straight from the earth, but this doesn't mean frozen produce doesn't have its place. Frozen vegetables are less expensive, and since they last far longer than fresh veggies, they can also help you eliminate food waste in your kitchen. The best part is that you don't necessarily have to sacrifice quality to add them to your diet.
Still, not all frozen vegetables are created equal. Think salad greens, green beans, or boxed vegetables covered in a cheesy sauce. If you're a little hesitant about buying the bagged varieties behind those glass door freezers, you should know that frozen veggies are processed at the peak of ripeness, when their nutrient levels are highest. And in some cases, frozen actually is a better choice over fresh.
Read on to find out which vegetables you should always keep in stock in your freezer.
Green Peas
Fresh green peas may be hard to come by, depending on where you live in the South. They're only available for a short season, and you have to shell them. Frozen peas are a great alternative. When cooked properly (boiling them quickly on the stovetop with butter), they bear a striking bright green resemblance and a sweet taste like fresh peas.
Recipe: Skillet Toasted Gnocchi With Green Peas
Recipe: Oven-Baked Risotto With Ham, Leeks, And Peas
Victor Protasio
Broccoli
Fresh broccoli begins to deteriorate and spoil after just a few days in the fridge. So if you don't plan to use up a whole head of fresh broccoli right away, cooking with frozen broccoli may save you more money and prevent food waste. When steaming frozen broccoli, be sure to cook off any extra water, so it's not soggy. Or, try roasting it on a sheet pan, which brings out the vegetable's natural sweetness and creates wonderfully crispy edges.
Recipe: Broccoli-Cheese Casserole
Recipe: Roasted Broccoli
Cauliflower
Like the other cruciferous family member, cauliflower is one of those versatile veggies that tastes just as great frozen as it does fresh. The snap-freeze process makes frozen cauliflower cheaper and easier to prepare. Whether you sauté, steam, or boil it, you still get all the vitamin C benefits with frozen cauliflower. And don't forget about frozen cauliflower rice—it's a great low-carb substitute for grains.
Recipe: Loaded Cauliflower Casserole
Recipe: Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Stacy K. Allen; Props: Julia Bayless; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer
Okra
Fresh okra is at its peak in the summer months, but what if you get a craving for gumbo in the winter? Frozen okra can step in, and with good results. And when stored properly in the freezer, it won't spoil, which will happen quickly with the fresh kind.
Recipe: Classic Okra And Tomatoes
Recipe: Kardea Brown's Okra and Shrimp Soup
Carrots
While carrots are practically available year-round, fresh ones only last a short while in the refrigerator. frozen carrots are chosen shortly after harvest, allowing them to maintain their fiber, vitamin A, and beta-carotene nutrients. Plus frozen carrots are already peeled and prepped, so all you have to do is toss them in the pot.
Recipe: Ginger Carrots
Recipe: Sweet Potato-Carrot Soup
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Lima Beans
Tender, velvety lima beans (or butterbeans) are a popular Southern side dish and they're much easier to find frozen than fresh. We love them in this slow-cooked recipe, which is flavored with bacon, brown sugar, and onion.
Recipe: Creamy Lima Beans
Recipe: Home-Style Butterbeans
Spinach
Frozen spinach is full of fiber-rich nutrients, iron, and calcium and lasts much longer than fresh. But, the best incentive for using frozen instead of fresh comes down to quantity. Fresh spinach leaves tend to cook down significantly. Also, cooking with frozen spinach means you don't have to worry about squeezing out excess water when making a tasty spinach dip.
Recipe: Creamed Spinach
Recipe: Buttermilk Alfredo Chicken-Spinach Pasta
VICTOR PROTASIO; PROP STYLING: CLAIRE SPOLLEN; FOOD STYLING: TORIE COX
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts can be ridiculously expensive, especially when not in season. However, frozen Brussels sprouts are a lot less costly. You'll want to forego the defrosting to ensure you don't end up with mushy, bitter, or watery sprouts. Instead, coat them in a little olive oil and roast them for about 35 minutes until they brown and form a nice, caramelized crunch.
Recipe: Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Recipe: Mini Meatloaves with Potatoes, Leeks, and Brussels Sprouts
Butternut Squash
With its high-fiber content and nutrient-dense properties such as potassium, folate, and vitamin B6, we should always make room for butternut squash in our diet. To take all the work out of peeling and chopping fresh butternut squash, grab a frozen bag to make a simple roasted dish. It's also sold as a frozen puree, which is fantastic for soups and pasta sauces.
Recipe: Butternut Squash Cake
Recipe: Butternut Squash Mac And Cheese
Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Corn
Opt for frozen kernels instead of canned for those long months when sweet corn isn't in season. It's just as sweet as the fresh kind and works well in cooked preparations. (If you're making a salad or using it raw, fresh corn is the better way to go.)
Recipe: Honey-Butter Skillet Corn
Recipe: Slow Cooker Corn Chowder
Field Peas
Field peas are another Southern treat in the summer months, but they are available year-round in your freezer section for rice dishes, soups, and sides. Better yet, look for bags of frozen field peas with snaps (green beans), and double your vegetable intake.
Recipe: Classic Hoppin' John
Recipe: Reunion Pea Casserole
Stacy K. Allen, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley