Are Frozen Berries Good For Me?
The short answer is: absolutely! There has been much debate surrounding the credibility of frozen vs. fresh fruit/vegetables but the verdict is out, and the verdict is good!
For almost every other circumstance, we would say that fresh is best – and with berries, there is definitely nothing wrong with fresh! I would hate to rid you of your childhood memories climbing mulberry trees and eating the berries straight off the branch! But the good news for this type of fruit, is that there is also no harm in saving the few extra dollars and buying frozen – it’s a win win.
Frozen Berries Are Cheaper:
And that they are! Buying a small punnet of fresh blueberries these days can sometimes cost up to $5 for only 100g; compare that to buying frozen, and you can bag a full 500g for only $4 – that’s a weeks’ worth of smoothies for a very affordable price! For this reason, frozen berries can be a great option for those who are wishing to eat healthier, without the price tag.
Frozen Berries Last Longer:
There is nothing worse than picturing what you’re going to eat when you get home, only to see that it has either already been eaten, or that it has gone off! Fresh fruits and vegetables can be very stingy with their shelf-life sometimes, and berries are no different! Let this be your permission to stop buying fresh berries only to see them turn mushy before you get to them. Frozen berries last in the freezer long enough for you to get your money’s worth.
Frozen Berries HOLD Their Nutritional Value:
This is big one – the most important fact. There has been many studies on the differences between fresh and frozen berries, all coming out with surprisingly good results, much to the contrary of popular belief. Frozen berries hold their phytonutrient, antioxidant, vitamin, mineral and fibre content through the freezing process to deliver you with the goods – literally.
Ensuring that your nutritional intake is adequate, is absolutely imperative for optimal health, and knowing that you are doing just that can sometimes be difficult to decipher with all the marketing attempts and misinformation in products.
(Read our 5 Of The Best (And Easiest) Superfoods To Add To Your Diet post for more nutritional information on blueberries in particular).
Frozen Berries Are An Excellent Snack Choice
You are not abnormal if a sweet craving distracts you from your work at 3pm, or if your taste buds start getting ready for dessert after your evening meal – sugar cravings can hit anyone, anywhere, at anytime…
Enter: frozen berries AKA nature’s candy. Imagine replacing your usual candy consumption with a cup of frozen berries. Their small size also allows you to consume them mindfully – for all of you mindful/intuitive eaters out there.
Frozen Berries Hold Less Pesticides Than Fresh
Fresh berries are amongst the most notorious of all fruits and vegetables for their ability to hold/contain pesticides. However, it has been found that frozen berries hold less than half the amount of pesticides that fresh berries do – another win! If you are concerned about pesticide consumption, the best thing to do is switch to organic frozen berries.
So if you’re asking the question, ‘are frozen berries good for me?’, then your answer is yes! They are good for your health, good for your wallet, good for your tummy, good for your sugar cravings, good for keeping your fridge/fruit bowl free of rancid juices, good for your taste buds – good for you!