Why Frozen and Canned Fruit can be as Nutritious as Fresh Produce

Frozen and canned fruits last longer and are usually cheaper. However, many people avoid them in the supermarket because they believe that fresh is always healthier. But is that really true? Not quite, say nutritionists. In fact, frozen and canned fruit can be just as nutritious. This is why.

The benefits of frozen fruit

Fruits begin to lose nutrients as soon as they are picked. For example, the vitamin C content – ​​which is very important for maintaining healthy skin and bones, for example – can drop by half in just a few days. But they can take even longer to be consumed, due to the time between picking the fruit and selling it in a store and eventually eating it. Freezing fruit helps preserve nutrients.

When this happens, fruit is first blanched, which inactivates the enzymes. In this way, the loss of nutrients is prevented. After that, the temperature of the fruit is lowered to about -20 degrees, which causes the water in the food to freeze. This slows down the chemical reactions that occur in food, preventing the loss of important nutrients such as vitamin C and some antioxidants. “In many cases, the fruit retains ‘more important nutrients’ than it would if it had been picked just before peak ripeness and sold in a supermarket,” explains nutrition expert Gunter Kuhnle in an article in The Conversation.

The benefits of canned fruit

Food canning involves a slightly tougher process. Most fruits need to be boiled in water before canning, which can significantly reduce the vitamin content. But rest assured, the process doesn’t kill all the nutrients. For example, vitamin A – which contributes to healthy skin, eyes and immune system, for example – is preserved at higher levels than when frozen. Just watch out for added sugars in canned fruit, as it’s often in syrup instead of water. It is important to know what it is canned in. If it’s in fruit juice it will contain a small amount of sugar, but if it’s canned in syrup it really does contain considerably more. So check the label!

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