Best Frozen Fruits & Vegetables

Frozen fruits and vegetables get a bad rap, because people think they aren't as healthy as fresh produce. Though nothing will ever taste as good as blueberries just picked from the bushes or carrots straight out of the ground, don't rule out frozen fruits and vegetables just yet.

Frozen products (that don't contain added sugar) might be even more nutritious than fresh, According to a recent study conducted by the University of Georgia (UGA) and Frozen Food Foundation, "Frozen fruits and vegetables are nutritionally equal to – and in some cases better than – their fresh-stored counterparts," UGA Professor Dr. Ronald Pegg, who led the study, says. "In particular, vitamin A was greater in frozen fruits and vegetables than select fresh-stored fruits and vegetables."

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Frozen fruits and vegetables are generally picked at peak freshness and frozen immediately, allowing key nutrients to be locked in. Just skip the items with added sugar (or any type of sauce) and dress your fruit and veg up at home.

① Broccoli

Best for: chicken and broccoli stir-fry, cheesy broccoli rice casserole or sautéed with oil and garlic for a quick side.

② Corn

Best for: summer corn salad, chilled corn soup, and corn and mango salsas.

③ Spinach

Best for: mushroom-spinach soup, pea risotto, quiche, green smoothies and burgers. It's also useful for dips and pestos.

④ Edamame

Best for: snacking on steamed or shelled for stir-fry, pastas, risottos and salads.

⑤ Peas

Best for: sweet pea ravioli with lobster, fried rice and even pesto.

⑥ Strawberries

Best for: desserts like strawberry cobbler, strawberry sauce, strawberry jam and strawberry muffins.

⑦ Raspberries

Best for: banana, raspberry smoothies or use them as ice cubes in a glass of Prosecco.

⑧ Pineapple

Best for: your morning skinny pineapple smoothie.

⑨ Blueberries

Best for: blueberry muffins, blueberry Greek yogurt pops and lemon blueberry cake. You can even add them to water and refreeze to make flavored ice cubes.

⑩ Peaches

Best for: peach crisp, cobblers, savory dishes like this slow cooker Persian peach and chicken stew or puréed to make ice cream and sorbet.