Vegetables are an important part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. They are low in fat, rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. But which form of vegies are best?Fresh
The nutritional value of fresh vegetables is determined by their season and if they are available in your area. When buying vegatables that have been shipped accross the country, they have been harvested before they are ripe and that looses alot of nutrional value. They also loose some nutrional value from causes like; extreme tempertures that release some nutrients like Vitamin A and C when they are being shipped. So try to stay local if buying fresh, they are full of vitamins and usually picked the same day.
Life Span - 1 Week
From the Freezer Section
Frozen vegetables are picked when they are fully ripe and flash-frozen to remove bacteria and lock in their essential vitamins and nutrients. The faster they are frozen after picking, the more nutrients they will have. Make sure to watch out for the amount of salt added.
Life Span - 6 to 12 months
Straight off the Shelf
Canned vegetables can lose some vitamins during the heating process before canning, but when they are handled and canned quickly, just like frozen foods, the majority of nutrients are locked in! Canned vegetables can have the same, if not more nutrients than fresh vegetables for up to 2 years! As well canned vegetables are very safe to eat because they contain no preservatives and and are at a lower risk of contamination. But just like frozen watch out for the added salt.
Life Span - 2 years
It's important to cook your vegetables properly or you can loose a lot of its nutrients and minerals. I recently purchased "In Season: Cooking with Vegetables and Fruit's" from Amazon. It's a really great book and shows you how to get the best flavors with vegetables and fruits. Here's the 3 books I recommend:
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