The Huge Benefit Of Buying Bagged Frozen Veggies Over Boxed

Frozen veggies are an excellent source of vitamins to have on hand to add a touch of nutritional value to your favorite comfort foods. But when it comes to stocking your fridge with frozen veggies, we think little about the difference between boxed and bagged. After all, what's the difference aside from branding and packaging? Well, it turns out, there's a huge culinary benefit to buying bagged vegetables and that's the fact that you can cook only the amount you need (as opposed to the entire container). 

When using frozen veggies in your meals, it's much better to simply portion out the amount you need and put the unused vegetables back in the freezer. This is because frozen veggies don't actually need to thaw before you add them to your hot dishes. Thawing veggies before heating will turn them into a soggy, mushy mess. It's best to just use your frozen veggies right away. Next time you're using them in your cooking, make sure to cut open the bag using the "square method" – cutting a square in the middle and leaving about one-third of the bag untouched – as this promotes easy freezer storage afterward.

We cannot emphasize enough the benefits of using frozen veggies in your cooking. Although some nutrients might be lost in the blanching and packaging process, the vegetables used in frozen pouches are generally picked at peak ripeness, which means you can have off-season treats year-round. And we haven't even mentioned the whole budget-friendly aspect of these nutritious freezer stuffers. 

Frozen veggies are a great addition to many recipes, but we like to add them to dishes that are often lacking that overall vegetable element. For example, next time you make a batch of mac and cheese, consider adding some frozen peas into the mix. Even though Russian pelmeni are not typically served with veggies, it's a dish that thrives on personalization. So next time you're cooking up frozen pelmeni, try adding a medley of your favorite frozen vegetables to balance out the starchy, meaty dumpling dish. You've heard of veggie stir fry, but what about veggie ramen? Adding frozen vegetables to your instant ramen is a simple, healthy way to spruce it up without taking away from the whole "instant" part of it.