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Fresh vs frozen: easy ways to a healthy 5-a-day

Fresh is best, there's no doubt about that, but just how fresh is the fruit and veg in our supermarkets? Anita Naik, author of the Lazy Girl's Guide series, reveals why a freezer is a girl's best friend when it comes to ensuring you're eating enough fruit and vegetables

If you're keen to hit your five-a-day target you're probably one of the many who spend on average around £15 - £20 a week on fresh vegetables and fruit hoping to up your nutrient intake and reap the health benefits of eating well.

Yet, are you also one of the 50 per cent who regularly finds mouldy vegetables and rotting fruit lurking in the fridge? If so, it's bad news for your health as research also shows that only 15 per cent of British women meet the recommended daily fruit and veg target. If you're guilty of binning more than you eat here are a few food secrets to keep in mind next time you do the weekly shop.

• Secret one: All veg counts
  We should all be eating at least five portions of fruit or veg a day and it isn't just fresh veg that you have to eat. Frozen, canned and fresh produce all count in the nutritional stakes. But remember potatoes don't count because they are a starchy food.
• Secret two - Fresh isn't always best
  Eighty per cent of us may believe that fresh fruit and vegetables are healthier than frozen, but this isn't always the case if you are buying your goods from the supermarket. 'Fresh' produce loses vital nutrients and vitamins as soon as it's harvested and it can then take nearly two weeks to arrive on supermarket shelves. So by the time you buy it and eat it, the nutrient value of your fruit and vegetables may well have been lost.

  According to the International Food Information Council, frozen and canned produce is virtually identical in terms of nutrition to freshly harvested fresh produce. In fact, in the case of frozen it's sometimes better, for example frozen peas contain 34 per cent more Vitamin C than their fresh counterparts.

• Secret three: Five-a-day needn't be expensive
  That's if you shop smartly. Help yourself by:
  1. Buying fresh fruit and vegetables that are in season. Not only are they cheaper but they are also more likely to be locally produced, meaning they were harvested nearer to you (therefore taking less time to get on the shelves and being more eco friendly) and will be higher in nutrients
  2. Buy all out-of-season produce from the frozen department, this ensures you not only keep a good selection of fruit and vegetables in your diet, but you also reap the right nutritional benefits

• Secret four: Pre-packaged 'chilled' vegetables aren't nutrient rich
  Chopped and prepared 'chilled' bags of mixed vegetables aren't as healthy as you may think, as most have lost their nutritional value due to the length of time it has taken to prepare and package them. If you buy them when they're close their sell-by-date, they're likely to be even lower in nutritional value. If you're looking for variety and vitamins opt for a frozen bag of mixed vegetables instead.

• Secret five: Fruit and veg can be frozen for 12 months
  Freezing fruits and vegetables for longer than recommended will decrease its quality. Recommended freezing times are:

  Fruits - most frozen fruits maintain high quality for 8 to 12 months. Unsweetened fruits lose quality faster than fruits packed in sugar or sugar syrups.

  Vegetables - most vegetables will maintain high quality for 12 to 24 months.

• Statistics provided by Birdseye

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