Table Of Contents
Introduction
There is no doubt that fruits are good for you. Any person going on a diet or just want to eat healthily are advised to include more vegetables and fruits in their everyday meals. But the question is, is it better to choose frozen or fresh fruits?
Whatever type of fruit you will buy, the great thing about them is that you can enjoy them as is or cook them. Strawberry can become an amazing strawberry poke cake and banana can be transformed into a banoffee pie.
Why you need Fresh or Frozen Fruits in your Diet
But first, you need to understand why you actually need to eat fruits. While you may just be following the advice of your doctor or the people around you, it could motivate you more if you know what benefits you are getting.
Fruits are filled with so many nutrients without all the unnecessary calories found in other foods. This is good news if you are watching your weight.
Fruits also do not have cholesterol. The absence of cholesterol ensures that there is less risk of heart disease if your diet is composed of mostly fruits.
Rather than cholesterol, you have fruits filled with potassium which is good for maintaining your blood pressure. Fruits also contain fiber which can help with those suffering from constipation and the like. Eating fibrous fruits will also help curb your appetite so you won’t feel hungry until it is time for the next meal.
Now that you know some of the many benefits of fruits, the question is what is better to buy? Is it fresh or frozen fruits? Let us look at the pros and cons of each.
Pros and Cons of Frozen Fruits
PROS
Many people think that after buying frozen fruits, the fruit loses most of its nutrients. But that is not actually true.
Most of the frozen fruits are packaged right after they are harvested and this is actually the time that the nutrients are at its peak. Of course, you need to make sure that you are only buying the best produce so that you can be assured of getting the maximum nutrients.
Frozen fruits also last longer so you can keep it in the freezer without having to worry if it is spoiled. You can just bring it out when you need them.
CONS
One of the things to watch out for in frozen fruits is the additives. Some might have added too much sugar making it less healthy. Another thing is that frozen fruits will have a. different texture than fresh ones, they can be a little mushy and will not taste the same as the fresh variant.
Pros and Cons of Fresh Fruits
Pros
There’s no doubt that when it comes to taste and texture, fresh fruits are better. And when you buy the organic ones, you can be sure of the nutrients of the fruits.
Cons
The problem with fresh fruits is that they spoil easily. So you need to plan accordingly so that you. can consume or cook them at the right time. Plus, they are also more expensive than frozen ones.
Tips on Buying Frozen Fruits
When buying frozen fruits, the best tip is to keep it simple. Don’t go for fruits that have additional ingredients. By additional ingredients we mean sugar. When you buy frozen fruits with sugar, for example, some berries in syrup, you are probably not aware that it will contain as much as 11 times more sugar than unsweetened ones. This can be very risky for those who are looking to eat healthily.
Also, when buying frozen fruits, make sure that they are packaged properly. Watch out for packages that feel limp or wet. Avoid those where ice crystals have formed as it could mean that these fruits have already been defrosted and were just refrozen.
Tips on Buying Fresh Fruits
If you like fresh fruits more, make sure that you go for those that are in season. Not only will they cost less but it will also taste better. If you try to get fruits that are out of season, they will have been harvested from another region or even another country. The long journey may cause the nutrient value of the food to drop.
Another thing to remember when buying fresh fruits is that you have to inspect if there are bruising or dents as these can make them rot much faster. Packages should not have molds or leakage.
It’s also important that you buy at the right time. While you can always prep your ingredients ahead of time, take note that fresh ones may rot or spoil fast. So if you buy some blueberries for your blueberry banana bread, make sure that you will use it within days of purchase.
