According to researchers: Frozen vegetables are better if you don’t cook them

Many people consider fresh vegetables to be healthier, while frozen vegetables are considered inferior. That’s not generally true. Health.de explains that rapid shock freezing can preserve the nutrients well because the vegetables are cooled down very quickly. EAT SMARTER also classifies frozen vegetables as a healthy alternative suitable for everyday use, precisely because they have a longer shelf life and are processed quickly after harvest.

The crucial point is less the deep freeze than what happens afterwards. Fresh vegetables lose nutrients during transport and storage. ECO TEST emphasizes that vitamin C and heat- and light-sensitive B vitamins in particular are broken down comparatively quickly in light and oxygen. Those who do not process fresh vegetables in a timely manner are often better off with frozen goods because the loss of nutrients through storage is smaller.

“When you freeze, ice is created. Ice crystals form in the vegetables, which damage the cell walls. If you then cook the vegetables in water, valuable nutrients are quickly lost and end up in the cooking water.”

Dekker specifies that water-soluble nutrients are primarily affected. These include vitamin C and various B vitamins. His example: “If you boil 500 grams of vegetables in 500 milliliters of water, you simply lose half of certain nutrients.” As the cooking time increases, the concentration in the cooking water increases while it decreases in the vegetables.

The good news: According to guides, preparation methods with little or no additional water perform significantly better. According to information from igloo stay in the during preparation microwave Many vitamins and minerals are preserved in vegetables because hardly any water is used. Also EAT SMARTER suggests that significantly more nutrients are lost when cooking in water than when cooking in the microwave.

Dekker’s recommendation fits this: “It’s best to fry the vegetables in a pan. Whether stir-frying, baking in the oven or cooking in the microwave: This way, most of the nutrients are retained.” The reason is simple: without cooking water, water-soluble vitamins cannot “emigrate” as easily.

Important for everyday life: frozen vegetables should always be heated well. So it’s not about “not cooking at all”, but rather about not boiling in a lot of water.

Conclusion: Frozen vegetables can be a very practical and often nutrient-stable alternative to fresh produce, but it’s the preparation that counts. Better than “cooking in water” are a pan, oven or microwave. It’s best to start frozen, cook briefly and heat well. This means more nutrients stay in the vegetables and not in the cooking water.