WHICH IS BEST ???
Canned, Frozen, or Fresh?

 Question:

Which is better for your health: fresh, frozen or canned fruits and vegetables?Answer:

Any and all.

 Although we know fruits and vegetables are part of a healthy diet many people eat very limited amounts because fresh produce is not convenient to keep since they tend to spoil quickly.

Canned fruits and vegetables are often said to be nutritionally inferior to the fresh and frozen counterparts.  Canned food is higher in sugar and salt usually, but it is not true that it is inferior nutritionally when it comes to other nutrients.  In fact, many canned fruits and vegetables contain as much or more of certain nutrients than their fresh and frozen counterparts. 

Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables are processed immediately after harvest, when nutrient content is at its peak.  This is especially true when it comes to the vitamin C found in green vegetables.  The longer produce sits during travel, in the supermarket, and in our refrigerator, the more susceptible to loss of vitamins and minerals.  Remember, many of our “fresh” produce are imported from foreign countries and travel a long way.   

 Frozen and canned products are particularly good to have on hand for times when you can’t get to the store for fresh products or when fresh fruits and vegetables are out of season or out of your price ranges.

The downside to canned food is it is usually very high is sodium and sugar. However, most manufacturers now offer lower sodium canned vegetables and fruit packed in juice as an alternative to the higher sodium can vegetables and fruit packed in syrup.

 By debunking the myth that fresh is always better, we should be able to easily get our minimum of 5-7 servings a day of fruits and veggies.