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By Krista Feagans
Vegetables. We know they’re good for us, but buying them can be confusing when faced with the number of choices available in supermarkets today. Buying peas is not as simple as it sounds given the overwhelming abundance of fresh, frozen, or canned pea options. And that goes for other vegetables as well. In the Valley we have access to any number of fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables. However, convenience and shelf life are determining factors for every person on the go. As a consumer, it helps to understand what the health benefits may be for each in order to make the best choice for you and your family.
In our current economy, cost is a huge factor. Many people need to work two jobs simply to make ends meet, which in turn makes convenience foods very appealing. Unfortunately, cost and convenience often trump nutrition when it comes to food choices. Luckily, with vegetables, it doesn’t have to be that way. Fast and easy doesn’t need to be unhealthy, and when the right choices are made, healthy vegetables can stretch your dollar a lot further than a Happy Meal. Not only do veggies have fiber, which helps you feel fuller longer, they are also rich in nutrients and low in calories. There is no question that vegetables are a nutritious choice, but the question remains: Fresh, Frozen, or Canned?
FRESH
Fresh vegetables, especially locally grown vegetables like those available at farmers’ markets, contain high amounts of nutrients and often have the most flavor. Compare a fresh tomato from the grocery store to one grown in your neighbor’s garden. They have a comparable nutrient content but the garden tomato will taste better. For some people, however, fresh isn’t always convenient. Farmers’ markets are not open every day of the week, which means you have to plan your shopping ahead of time, and they may also be more difficult to access depending on your means of transportation. Fresh vegetables, whether from the farmers’ market or the grocery store, may also require more time for preparation and have a limited fridge life. On that note, there is something to be said for vegetables from the farmers’ market. Fresh, locally grown produce tends to last much longer than fresh produce from the grocery store because it hasn’t already spent days being shipped from its point of harvest to your store.
The time spent in trucks detracts from flavor, increases the cost, and decreases the shelf life. Although there are other consumer choices available, there’s no doubt that fresh vegetables (from farmers’ markets or grocery stores) is the gold standard in nutrients and flavor. If you have the time and energy, a farmers’ market really should be your first choice. Or, if you simply can’t make it to one, we are extremely lucky in the Valley to be surrounded by so much agriculture. Many of our local supermarkets advertise produce that has been grown locally, and some farms even offer vegetable “boxes” that can be picked up once a week or every two weeks at locations throughout the city. These boxes are affordable, vary in size, often include recipes, and provide a diverse array of seasonal produce that may introduce you and your family to new veggies and new ways to enjoy them.
FROZEN
Frozen vegetables might be the winning pick for cost, convenience, and nutrient content. They can be purchased at a reasonable price and in bulk, and because they are frozen, spoilage is less of an issue. Many frozen vegetables are already diced, chopped, shredded, etc. and can be easily steamed or sautéed to create a quick side for any meal. The freezing process is very fast and allows the vegetables to retain nearly their entire original nutrient content, without as much of the added sodium found in canned goods.
It is still important to read the nutrition labels on frozen veggies because there are many varieties that have added seasonings and fat, and may therefore have as much sodium as the canned variety. Individual preferences and cooking habits have a large influence on purchasing decisions, but if time and money don’t allow for fresh vegetables, an easy alternative with a similar nutritional value is to buy frozen.
See the table to the left for a comparison of the nutrients in one cup of fresh, frozen, or canned peas. The information is taken off of nutrition labels from a sampling of products. Note that different brands will have slightly different nutrition facts, but most are comparable to the examples provided below. Pay special attention to the amount of sodium in each product. Although there is more sodium in frozen peas than in fresh peas, neither comes close to the amount found in canned peas.
CANNED
Cost and convenience are both easy to come by with canned vegetables, but they might come at a textural and nutritional price. Some canned vegetables retain most of their original texture, like peas, but others are almost completely altered. Canned asparagus is a great example of a vegetable that tastes nothing at all like it once did before the canning process. If you are planning to use canned vegetables in soups, the loss of texture may be of little concern and some people actually prefer their vegetables soft and easy to chew, but you need to decide what you like and purchase accordingly.
In addition to texture and flavor loss, the canning process requires vegetables to be exposed to a significant degree of heat, which invariably leads to a certain amount of nutrient loss because vitamins are not heat-stable. That is not to say, however, that canned vegetables can’t be healthy. They just might not have the vitamin content found in their fresh counterparts. The biggest nutritional hit that canned vegetables take is not texture or nutrient loss, but the addition of sodium. Canned vegetables have unbelievably high amounts of sodium (salt) added to aid in their flavor and shelf life. Some canned vegetables can be rinsed, like beans or peas, but it’s next to impossible to rinse a can of diced tomatoes. When buying canned vegetables, because no one can deny their convenience factor, look for cans that are labeled low sodium or no salt added. If possible, rinse canned veggies before you serve them, and remember that canned vegetables are still better than no vegetables at all.
It’s easy to tell your kids to eat their vegetables, but as an adult, especially if you’re providing for a family, the choices can be much more complicated. Ultimately, it is important to remember that eating vegetables of any kind (perhaps with the exception of fried veggies) is better than eating none at all. It comes down to what will work for you. What do you need to do to make vegetables a regular part of your diet? Remember to include fresh, especially locally grown and seasonal vegetables whenever possible; frozen when you need a quick and easy budget fix; or canned, which are also convenient and cost effective, but watch out for the sodium content.
About the Author: Krista Feagens is a Dietetic Intern with California State University, Fresno. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in European History from UCSD and completed her nutrition studies at Texas A&M. This article was written under the guidance of the Registered Dietitians of Madera Community Hospital.
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