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| Yes | 51% | 177 votes | Total: 348 votes | |
| No | 49% | 171 votes |
Yes
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Many people have debated the merits of frozen foods versus fresh produce. The main concerns revolve around the loss of nutrition during the freezing process, and these concerns are amplified when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are, after all, the main source of certain nutrients, minerals and antioxidants that cannot be found in other food categories, and we thus consume fruits and vegetables for the purpose of obtaining these nutrients. It is self-defeating if we freeze vegetables to preserve them for consumption at a later date, only to have lost all the nutrients in the process.
This concern is not completely unfounded. The process of freezing is known to damage tissue and destroys the delicate cellular structure of fruits and vegetables, leading to an irreversible loss of nutrients. That, however, is reserved for freezing techniques that existed in the past. Technological advances have allowed for the advent of flash-freezing, a process that freezes any food item in mere seconds. The sheer speed at which this process is carried out prevents serious cellular damage from taking place. Most fruits and vegetables available in the supermarket and the grocers thus retain as much nutrients as when they were first harvested.
A secondary concern would be whether frozen veggies actually taste as garden fresh as fresh vegetables. That, to me, boils down to a matter of personal preference. Consumer surveys have consistently failed to draw distinct preferences for either frozen or fresh veggies, especially when consumers are subject to a blindfold test. Furthermore, most dishes call for some form of dressing or preparation to make it more palatable, and this would mask the 'frozen' taste, if there were any to start with.
The final, and perhaps most important, reason for consuming frozen vegetables is that is vastly increases the variety of vegetables one can choose from. Typically, flying over fresh vegetables from colder climes into the tropics, and vice versa, has been the main mode of transporting vegetable varieties. However, this method tends to be costly and the transportation process, no matter how fast, will inevitably result in some degree of deterioration in the quality of produce. Frozen vegetables, on the other hand, can be stored for a longer period, and thus can be transported without fear of the veggies wilting. This also allows for seasonal vegetables to be available all year round.
I live in the small tropical island of Singapore, and land is too scarce for agriculture here. Frozen vegetables are thus an excellent source of expanding the variety of veggies available to the local consumer. What joy it is to be able to eat delicious fruits and vegetables from places in Africa and the Americas. Better yet, the local food laboratories have confirmed that there is insignificant loss in the nutrient and mineral level of frozen fruits and vegetables as compared to their fresh counterparts.
Learn more about this author, Timou.
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No
Did you ever wonder where your child got those allergies? Where the cancer you were recently diagnosed with, came from? How about that newly developed hormone or neurological condition? Maybe it's something you ate!
Health is a big issue today and more and more people are eating more vegetables. Fresh vegetables are always healthier than frozen. For one thing, they contain more fiber and don't contain many of the dangerous chemicals that are used in commercial frozen food processing. The worst chemicals being pesticides like DDT and Deildren, which have been banned in some places, replaced by others just as dangerous. It's sickening how much the food industry puts profit ahead of human life and health. And the FDA approves of it!
Preservatives like: Propyl Gallate, BHA and BHT, (Banned in England), Sodium Nitrate are in your frozen foods and many of these pesticides and other chemicals can harm the your nervous system and cause brain damage, chromosome damage, disrupt your hormones, cause and irritate allergies, even cancer. These chemicals are known as "Probable Human Carcinogens" and "Hidden Carcinogens". (And we wonder why we have more diseases on our planet than ever before.)
Imported food is even worse! Toxic Chemicals that are illegal in the United States are not necessarily illegal in other countries, yet many of us are ingesting t every day in frozen foods.
Companies use these chemicals to lengthen the shelf life of many foods, give them a brighter color so they'll look more appetizing and for enhanced flavoring; all at the expense of our health. (Why should they care? They are making money hand-over-fist when we buy this garbage.)
Artificial colorings can add to Hyperactivity in children, impaired learning and visual functions, even nerve damage.
Brominated Vegetable Oil has been linked to ulcers, intestinal ulcers, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, birth defects, growth problems, and suppressed immune function. While Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils can cause cancer, elevated cholesterol, heart disease, arteriosclerosis, and depressed immune function.
The FDA does not ban nitrates because they prevent botulism, yet they form cancer-causing agents in our stomach and can cause death.
MSG can cause nervous system and productive disorders, high-blood pressure, and allergies, yet is often used in infants formula, milk, candy, chewing gum, even in our Prescription medications.
Olestra, (Olean), causes gastrointestinal irritation and reduces fat-soluble vitamins in our bodies.
Potassium Bromate can cause kidney and nervous system disorders.
Sulfites, (allergens), destroy vitamin B1; can cause asthma, anaphylactic shock, even death.
Further, frozen vegetables sometimes sit in store freezers for weeks which will deplete whatever nutrients are left after being processed with these chemicals. They are often packaged in plastic, another "carcinogen" and petroleum product which can allow toxins to leach into the foods.
So anytime you can, grow your own vegetables and fruits or buy Organic. You'll ward off a host of diseases and medical conditions and no doubt live a longer, more fulfilled life.
Learn more about this author, M. L. Kiser.
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