A pervasive myth amongst people is that frozen meat, vegetables and fruit have less nutrition or are somewhat inferior in some way to produce bought “fresh” from the vegetable vendor or the super market.
This is a false perception.
Please do note that I am not speaking about processed frozen foods. I am speaking about frozen vegetables, fruit, meat and fish. They may have been cut up and washed, but not processed in any other manner. Not juiced, semi cooked or cooked, mixed with other stuff, or made into a ready to cook recipe.
The fact is that in India, frozen vegetables, meat and fruit are superior in practically every manner to so called “fresh” produce.
Produce that you buy loose in the markets is usually not fresh, and has been on the shelves for hours or days with quite a bit of nutrition loss. They are also not washed or cleaned and most people wash them at home with tap water and that’s mostly not potable in India. A lot of people fall sick from water borne infections that they get from eating salads or chutneys at home.
The worst thing is meat and fish. Most “fresh” meat and fish that people buy in India has been out for several hours after slaughter or catch, and is usually unfit for human consumption. India is a tropical country with high temeperatures, and widespread poor hygiene and cleanliness.
Fish must be refrigerated at below minus 15 degrees centigrade within minutes of catch. Meat must similarly be frozen within minutes of slaughter.
Stay safe people. Buy frozen meat and fish. It is the healthier and safer choice.
And go for frozen veggies and fruit. They are usually more nutritious than the produce you think is fresh. It’s usually also safe to eat without washing as it’s already washed and packed in a sterile environment.