Cooking frozen or canned vegetables to serve with your meals
The Basics
Pinal, nutritionist says “vegetables ‘bulk’ out meals without adding lots of extra calories – if you eat plenty of vegetables with your lunch, for example, you’ll be less tempted to snack on high calorie temptations during the afternoon – especially if you add vegetables to a starch based meal, such as whole-meal pasta”.
“And remember that canned and frozen vegetables count toward the target of 5-a-day for fruit and vegetables”.
If you’re following GetFit Nutrition’s ® unique Nutrition Card® weight management system, 3 heaped tablespoons of canned or frozen vegetables is equal to 1 Nutrition Card® portion from the fruit and vegetables food group.
Common Myths & Misconceptions
“Frozen vegetables aren't as healthy as fresh”. A common myth. Infact frozen vegetables are just as good for you as fresh) - and they can be quick, convenient and economical too. Quick freezing has very little effect on the nutritional value of food. In fact, studies show that because they’re processed within hours of being picked, frozen vegetables often contain higher levels of vitamins than fresh!
- “Canned vegetables aren’t as healthy as fresh” – Although levels of some vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals are reduced by the canning process, other nutrients are increased – canned tomatoes, for instance, contain higher levels of absorbable lycopene than fresh tomatoes.
Tips and Tricks
- Keep a good selection of canned and frozen vegetables in your cupboard and freezer so you’ve always got a substitute for fresh available.
- Canned and frozen vegetables don’t go off like fresh vegetables, so look out for special offers for them e.g. buy one get one free.
- If you have a large freezer why not visit a pick-you-own farm and pick vegetables during the summer months when they are cheap – you can then freeze them for using during the winter.
- If you want to freeze vegetables at home you’ll need to have a freezer with a ‘super freeze’ or ‘quick freeze’ setting. Spread the vegetables out on a tray lined with non- stick baking parchment and freeze until solid, then pack in freezer bags.
- If the place where you usually shop doesn’t have a good selection of frozen vegetables make a trip to a specialist freezer store, like Iceland, to stock up.
- Using canned or frozen vegetables to make soups means you can knock up a healthy meal or snack within a matter of minutes.
Look out for vegetables canned without salt or sugar – if you can’t find vegetables canned in water, rinsing them before use will remove some of the salt and sugar.
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