# are bags of frozen veggies nutritionally the same as fresh ones? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 15, 2009, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bags-of-frozen-veggies-nutritionally-the-same-as-fresh-ones/517641 "2009-11-15T07:26:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bags-of-frozen-veggies-nutritionally-the-same-as-fresh-ones/517641/1 "2009-11-15T07:26:49Z")
i’m not talking about pre-cooked veggies or things that are part of larger meals… if i buy a bunch of fresh green beans, steam them, and eat them is that nutritionally the same as buying a pound bag of frozen cut green beans, steaming them, and eating them? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bags-of-frozen-veggies-nutritionally-the-same-as-fresh-ones/517641/2 "2009-11-15T09:12:54Z")
The vitamins and other nutritional content breaks down over time. Freezing doesn’t stop this. The best will be fresh picked. After picking what you do to them affects how quickly they lose nutritional content. Stopping or slowing the plant’s enzyme reactions is important to preserving nutritional content. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bags-of-frozen-veggies-nutritionally-the-same-as-fresh-ones/517641/3 "2009-11-15T09:59:38Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > i’m not talking about pre-cooked veggies or things that are part of larger meals… > > if i buy a bunch of fresh green beans, steam them, and eat them > > is that nutritionally the same as buying a pound bag of frozen cut green beans, steaming them, and eating them? Depending on how long the “fresh” green beans took to get to your store, and how long they were sitting in your refrigerator or pantry before you got to cooking them, and how soon after picking the frozen beans were frozen, and how they were handled on the way to the store, the frozen ones might even be _more_ nutritious. As **Harmonious Discord** pointed out, all foods deteriorate over time. Freezing can slow this down. Beans frozen just after harvest and kept properly frozen until you use them might well retain more nutrition than “fresh” beans that take a week (or more!) to go from field to your purchase, then sit around another day or two, before being eaten. Poorly handled frozen beans, or those that have been sitting in a freezer for months on end, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bags-of-frozen-veggies-nutritionally-the-same-as-fresh-ones/517641/4 "2009-11-15T13:55:57Z")
I mean picked that day and hopefully a few hours ago, when I say fresh picked. Vegetables in the produce section of the store have been picked shipped and then stored for days up to months, depending on the store. Frozen vegetables are not processed immediately either, and sit in unrefrigerated semitrailers until they get processed and frozen. Don’t imagine they are frozen a couple hours after being picked. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bags-of-frozen-veggies-nutritionally-the-same-as-fresh-ones/517641/5 "2009-11-15T14:13:40Z")
Well, MY frozen vegetables ARE processed an hour or two after picking… but that’s because they are from my own garden. 😃 Still, a valid point. Much depends on handling and time. As a practical matter there probably is not a great deal of difference. In season, locally produced fresh produce is more likely to have an edge over frozen, whereas frozen might well have an edge over out-of-season, stored-for-months, and distant-import “fresh” food. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bags-of-frozen-veggies-nutritionally-the-same-as-fresh-ones/517641/6 "2009-11-15T15:01:00Z")
i know that some vegetables are canned within hours, like 2 or 3, of being picked. freezing plants might be able to do so also. in agricultural areas i’ve gone through i see the processing plants right in the growing area, like within an hour drive. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bags-of-frozen-veggies-nutritionally-the-same-as-fresh-ones/517641/7 "2009-11-15T15:23:28Z")
A couple hours from picking to processed is not the norm. Perhaps for the first of the season before things get hectic you’ll see that. You often will see the trailers of picked vegetables sitting in the field for 24 hours. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bags-of-frozen-veggies-nutritionally-the-same-as-fresh-ones/517641/8 "2009-11-15T15:36:03Z")
I have no links to reference, but I’ve always heard frozen or even canned veggies can be more nutritious (if processed quickly) than fresh. But the difference in vitamins isn’t that much, no matter how or if they are processed! Any vegetables are healthy for you, frozen or canned are fine if you don’t have any fresh, and eating a lot of vegetables is good for one’s health. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bags-of-frozen-veggies-nutritionally-the-same-as-fresh-ones/517641/9 "2009-11-15T16:00:55Z")
canneries and harvesting are around the clock operations. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bags-of-frozen-veggies-nutritionally-the-same-as-fresh-ones/517641/10 "2009-11-15T16:24:30Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > canneries and harvesting are around the clock operations. Not that it prevents them from getting backed up. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bags-of-frozen-veggies-nutritionally-the-same-as-fresh-ones/517641/11 "2009-11-16T01:53:30Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Not that it prevents them from getting backed up. That shouldn’t be a problem with beans. ---
**Author:** ![Honesty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f04885/32.png) [@Honesty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honesty)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bags-of-frozen-veggies-nutritionally-the-same-as-fresh-ones/517641/12 "2009-11-16T21:51:52Z")
In _general_, freezing modestly reduces the amount water soluble vitamins while soluble vitamins are reduced significantly. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bags-of-frozen-veggies-nutritionally-the-same-as-fresh-ones/517641/13 "2009-11-16T23:20:41Z")
[Birds Eye Frozen Foods](http://www.birdseyefoods.com/healthyliving/freshvfrozen.aspx) claims their frozen vegetables retain more nutrients than fresh vegetables: > [@](#): > > Frozen vegetables may contain more, or at the very least have the same, nutrients as fresh vegetables. Frozen vegetables are picked at the peak of freshness and then [flash-frozen](http://www.birdseyefoods.com/ourcompany/story.aspx), preserving nature’s nutritional value at a higher percentage than fresh. Frozen vegetables quickly lock in quality and nutrients while fresh vegetables steadily lose nutrients after they’re harvested. Dr. Barbara Klein, a professor of food and nutrition at the University of Illinois, found that after three days in a freezer, frozen green beans contain twice as much vitamin C as fresh green beans that spent the same amount of time in a display case. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bags-of-frozen-veggies-nutritionally-the-same-as-fresh-ones/517641/14 "2009-11-16T23:26:11Z")
[Green Giant Frozen Foods](http://www.mealtime.org/content.aspx?id=312) makes similar claims, based on a study at University of california study: > [@](#): > > By the time food is consumed, fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables may be nutritionally similar. ---
**Author:** ![\_cc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/e19b73/32.png) [@\_cc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_cc)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bags-of-frozen-veggies-nutritionally-the-same-as-fresh-ones/517641/15 "2009-11-18T12:11:44Z")
One thing I’d like to see answered regarding this is how MUCH nutritional content is lost? 1%? 99%? Somewhere in the middle? “Fresh is better than frozen” isn’t a very relevant rule of thumb if the actual loss is minute. And what exactly is meant by nutritional content? Macronutrients? Vitamins? Something else? Is it at all quantifiable? “Hey, those green beans were frozen, you’re not getting as much Vitamin C! Watch out for scurvy!” Not to be snarky or anything but I want specifics 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bags-of-frozen-veggies-nutritionally-the-same-as-fresh-ones/517641/16 "2009-11-18T12:37:51Z")
> [@'\[cc](#): > > ;11791617’]One thing I’d like to see answered regarding this is how MUCH nutritional content is lost? 1%? 99%? Somewhere in the middle? “Fresh is better than frozen” isn’t a very relevant rule of thumb if the actual loss is minute. > > And what exactly is meant by nutritional content? Macronutrients? Vitamins? Something else? Is it at all quantifiable? “Hey, those green beans were frozen, you’re not getting as much Vitamin C! Watch out for scurvy!” Not to be snarky or anything but I want specifics 😛 Wanting detail like this means you need to take a class in school to cover it in depth, because you want to know everything about it apparently. You can’t cover everything in a thread. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-bags-of-frozen-veggies-nutritionally-the-same-as-fresh-ones/517641/17 "2009-11-18T12:44:23Z")
> [@'\[cc](#): > > ;11791617’]One thing I’d like to see answered regarding this is how MUCH nutritional content is lost? 1%? 99%? Somewhere in the middle? “Fresh is better than frozen” isn’t a very relevant rule of thumb if the actual loss is minute. > > And what exactly is meant by nutritional content? Macronutrients? Vitamins? Something else? Is it at all quantifiable? “Hey, those green beans were frozen, you’re not getting as much Vitamin C! Watch out for scurvy!” Not to be snarky or anything but I want specifics 😛 From the [study cited by Green Giant](http://www.mealtime.org/uploadedFiles/Mealtime/Content/ucdavisstudyexecutivesummary.pdf): > [@](#): > > Vitamin C, a water-soluble nutrient, is sensitive to heat, light, and oxygen. If fresh products are held at the appropriate temperature and consumed in a short period of time, they have more vitamin C than commercially canned products. However vitamin C degrades rapidly after harvest, and depending on commodity, as much as 77% of the nutrient (in green beans) may be lost in 7 days storage at 4°C (39°F). Vitamin C is lost when frozen vegetables are blanched, but some fruits have ascorbic acid added to prevent browning, so the nutrient level may be higher in the frozen than the fresh fruit. Between 10 to 90% of vitamin C is lost during canning, however the nutrient changes little during storage of canned products and little is lost during reheating because the heating time is short. > > Among B vitamins, thiamin, B6 and riboflavin are sensitive to heat and light, resulting in loss in canned products. Since these nutrients are also water soluble, from 20-60% is lost in the blanching step prior to freezing. Water soluble polyphenolic compounds, found primarily in the skins of peaches, pears and apples, are lower in products canned without the skin compared to fresh, however if juice is included, such as in canned cherries, levels are higher in the canned than fresh products. Mineral and fiber content are similar in fresh, canned and frozen fruits and vegetables.