Fruit and veg: is fresh always best?

Fruit and vegetables are packed full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre, which keep us healthy and reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. 

Often fresh is viewed as best, and frozen and tinned are regarded as poor cousins.

But actually frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables are often just as good as fresh, and cheaper, plus they can be tasty and time-saving options that minimise food waste.

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Is frozen veg as good as fresh?

Sometimes frozen vegetables can actually have higher nutrient levels than fresh ones.

This is because, once harvested it can be weeks before fresh fruit and veg reaches supermarket shelves, and during this time the levels of nutrients can deteriorate.

Frozen veg, on the other hand, are steam-blanched immediately after harvesting to kill any enzymes responsible for deterioration. This keeps the colours bright and gets rid of any bugs and germs.

Then they're flash-frozen to ensure the vegetables are being preserved at their peak taste and nutritional value.

Because this happens within a couple of hours of picking, some veg - such as frozen peas - are likely to be more nutritious than fresh ones, unless you're lucky enough to be eating ones fresh from your own garden.

The same goes for frozen fruit, which is usually picked at peak ripeness and then flash-frozen to keep the nutrients intact.

How to cut food waste - good for your bank balance and the planet

Is tinned fruit and veg good for you?

Canned fruit and veg vs fresh are a slightly different matter, but still have their benefits.

Tins of vegetables are sealed and then heated to kill harmful bacteria and prevent spoilage. This process can destroy some nutrients - for example, heat-sensitive vitamins such as vitamin C and B-vitamins. 

However, for other nutrients, such as antioxidant lycopene, found in tomatoes, the heating process of canning can actually improve absorption vs eating fresh tomatoes.

Cooking asparagus, spinach, kale and mushrooms also boosts their antioxidant levels when compared with eating them raw.

Choose your tins wisely

Look for tinned and frozen fruit and vegetables that don't contain added sugar and salt - the cheapest ones sometimes opt for sugar syrup rather than juice, for example.

Where possible, opt for tinned fruit and veg in natural juices or water, rather than syrup or water with added salt or sugar.

Save money and time with frozen or tinned fruit and veg

If you frequently find yourself throwing out spoiled or tired fruit and vegetables, it might be worth keeping some stocks of frozen or tinned options instead.

Because frozen and tinned fruit and veg keep for ages and you only use what you need it means they're less likely to be thrown away and wasted.

They aren't always a substitute for fresh when it comes to texture, but it depends on what you're cooking, and can be a good way to increase the range of fruit and veg in your diet.

• Frozen spinach is great thrown into a pasta sauce or curry
• Frozen vegetable mixes are a great way to bulk out stews, casseroles and curries
• Frozen berries are a good year-round option for smoothies, crumbles and bakes, or to sprinkle on top of porridge or yoghurt.

You'll quickly notice the cost savings, too. Per kilo, you can expect to spend around £1.58 for fresh broccoli and £1.10 for frozen.

Raspberries can be as much as £10 per kilo fresh but this reduces to £6.67 when frozen.

Make sure you're not making these seven common mistakes when freezing your food

*This story was originally published in September 2020, but checked and updated in 2022.