A diet expert has addressed the 'snobbery' surrounding frozen food, highlighting its potential health benefits. Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London and co-founder of the Zoe health app, took to his Instagram to advise his followers not to be snobbish.
Professor Spector, an authority on nutrition, suggested that his advice might 'surprise' many but could significantly enhance their nutritional intake. He pointed out that frozen vegetables can retain Vitamin C more effectively, and freezing tomatoes can increase their lycopene content, which is linked to lower risks of stroke, heart disease, and cancer.
He commented: "Like me, You probably always thought that fresh food is always the best option. Don't be a snob when it comes to frozen foods or canned foods that can often be lifesavers."
Demonstrating with a pack in his video, he further explained: "An example here is frozen spinach, and actually the freezing process and the way it's packed up means that those nutrients in spinach are perfectly preserved, so you don't lose anything from buying the fresh product.
"For most of the fruits and berries again, the same thing is true that you're keeping those polyphenols. You're keeping the fibre, and you're not losing anything if they're prepared and packed really fast, which they normally are, that also goes for tomatoes in your cupboard. Always have spare cans of tomatoes, and they actually contain slightly more of the healthy nutrients like lycopene that has some anti-cancer properties, et cetera."
While discussing his earlier beliefs, he admitted: "I always thought fresh meant better but I've realised this isn't the case. Freezing and canning food is not only cheaper, more convenient and reduces waste but in some cases, it may be healthier.
"Peas, if frozen quickly actually retain more vitamin C than their fresh counterparts. While Popeye made spinach's iron content world famous, in raw spinach much of it isn't absorbed. As frozen spinach is often blanched and packed into cubes before freezing it may contain less oxalates, helping you to absorb more iron.
"Tomatoes are our major source of lycopene, a form of carotene that has been linked to reductions in stroke, heart disease and cancer. Interestingly, there is more lycopene in tinned tomatoes than their fresh counterparts.
"A review including over 260,000 participants found an association between eating cooked tomatoes and a reduced risk of developing prostate cancer although the same association wasn't found for fresh tomatoes. So if you're looking for ways to support your health, stocking your cupboards and freezer just might help."
