Fresh food is great, but frozen and tinned foods are good alternatives – and they can be equally nutritious if stored correctly. And building your meals around tinned or frozen vegetables can save a lot of money.
Once picked, fruit and veggies grown for freezing and canning are processed immediately, sealing in nutrients. If fresh produce has been sitting in cold storage for some time, or has come from overseas, then frozen and canned varieties may even have a higher nutrient content!
Fresh
- For fresh fruit and veggies, always choose what’s in season as they will be cheaper. Don’t buy too much at once or they may have spoiled before you get a chance to use them. How to store vegetables
- If you buy in season, they are less likely to have travelled from overseas to get to you.
Frozen
- Choose 100% frozen fruits without added sugars.
- Look out for added salt (sodium) in the ingredients list, especially in vegetables with sauces and seasonings.
Benefits of frozen fruit and vegies
- Pre-prepared (peeled, chopped, and cooked options)
- Usually cheaper than fresh
- Available all year round
- Just as nutritious
- You can use as much or as little as you need without waste
- Keep in the freezer for 3 – 12 months
Save time with breakfast smoothies
Tinned/Canned
- Remember to keep an eye out for added salt (sodium) in tinned vegetables and avoid that brand.
- Look for fruit that comes in water or juice (those in syrup will have lots of sugar)
- Tinned corn and tomatoes are a great cost-effective (and time saving) choice for cooking.
- Tinned legumes such as chickpeas and lentils can help bulk out meat dishes (think spaghetti Bolognese) to make meals go further.
Benefits of tinned fruit and vegetables
- Shelf stable – you can buy in bulk when they are on special knowing they will last in your pantry.
- Usually cheaper than fresh
- Available all year round
- Many types are ready to eat
- Some types have added herbs
- Save even more by buying generic brands
In an ideal world we’d all be eating affordable, super fresh fruit and veggies but it is possible to make some smart choices to eat healthy without spending a fortune. Ways to save on your grocery bill
Source: livelighter.com.au
