Frozen foods are fast and fitting choices when you’re hungry and have no time to cook, but are they really healthy? Here’s the key to finding out which frozen foods you can opt for
No time to cook? Don’t know how to cook? Just stroll down the frozen food aisle at the supermarket and you’ll see numerous food options — from kebabs to chicken, pizzas and even parathas — which can be prepared within a few minutes. After all, there’s a reason they’re called convenient foods. They’re easy to prepare and pre-portioned to avoid overeating. But it’s imperative to remember that frozen foods have their own advantages and disadvantages, depending on the kind of products you use.
HIGH SODIUM CONTENT
“As per standard recommendations, one shouldn’t eat more than 2,300 mg of sodium daily. If you are over the age of 40, you should limit sodium intake to no more than 1,500 mg daily,” says dietician and nutritionist Sadichha Kamble. Frozen and ready foods contain unacceptable levels of sodium to increase flavour through salt. Consuming more than the required amount of salt can increase your risk of developing high blood pressure and heart ailments.
HIGH LEVELS OF FAT
When choosing frozen foods, opt for meals with less than 1.5 gm of saturated fat per serving. Frozen foods tend to hide a lot of saturated fat within small portion sizes. One striking example is frozen pizzas with heavy amounts of cheese and meat toppings. Animal-based frozen eats contain varying levels of saturated fat, which can increase your bad LDL cholesterol intake consequently increasing the risk to your heart.
LOSING CRISPNESS
“Frozen vegetables such as peas taste good while veggies like zucchini, potatoes and broccoli lose their crisp texture once frozen, and taste waterlogged,” adds Kamble.
COLOUR CHANGE
Colour of frozen food tends to change after storage because of excessive drying (due to improper packaging or prolonged storage). For example, the bright red colour of fresh meat usually turns dark or pale brown post storage. The colour of frozen vegetables and cooked foods also changes because of lack of oxygen. The colour of poultry usually remains the same on freezing, but bones and meat near them can turn dark.
LOSS OF NUTRIENTS
There isn’t a major nutrient loss in the first stage of the freezing process. But later processes like peeling and blanching can affect heatsensitive nutrients like vitamin B. Vitamin C is susceptible to air and the longer a fruit is frozen, the more vitamin C is lost. On average, about 50 per cent of vitamin C levels decrease in frozen foods. Methods of cooking also decrease nutritional content. Frozen foods actually retain more of their nutrients than fresh or canned vegetables.
POINT OF PRESERVATIVES
Preservatives are added to food items to help them last longer. They can be either natural preservatives like salt or sugar, or complex chemicals manufactured in laboratories. To avoid high consumption of preservatives in your diet, eat fresh, whole foods which have been cooked by you. When it comes to frozen foods, some of them may not contain preservatives as freezing naturally leads to a longer shelf life. At the same time, a lot of frozen meals may contain high levels of preservatives. Check the label to be on the safer side.
The challenge always is to
TIP:
- To reduce loss of nutrients, steam frozen vegetables in the microwave in little or no water.
- Roasting vegetables can also help retain the nutrients.
- Use fruits and vegetables as soon as possible, whether they are frozen, fresh or canned.
Find healthy frozen meals which taste good but won’t damage your health.
No time to cook? Don’t know how to cook? Just stroll down the frozen food aisle at the supermarket and you’ll see numerous food options — from kebabs to chicken, pizzas and even parathas — which can be prepared within a few minutes. After all, there’s a reason they’re called convenient foods. They’re easy to prepare and pre-portioned to avoid overeating. But it’s imperative to remember that frozen foods have their own advantages and disadvantages, depending on the kind of products you use.
HIGH SODIUM CONTENT
“As per standard recommendations, one shouldn’t eat more than 2,300 mg of sodium daily. If you are over the age of 40, you should limit sodium intake to no more than 1,500 mg daily,” says dietician and nutritionist Sadichha Kamble. Frozen and ready foods contain unacceptable levels of sodium to increase flavour through salt. Consuming more than the required amount of salt can increase your risk of developing high blood pressure and heart ailments.
HIGH LEVELS OF FAT
When choosing frozen foods, opt for meals with less than 1.5 gm of saturated fat per serving. Frozen foods tend to hide a lot of saturated fat within small portion sizes. One striking example is frozen pizzas with heavy amounts of cheese and meat toppings. Animal-based frozen eats contain varying levels of saturated fat, which can increase your bad LDL cholesterol intake consequently increasing the risk to your heart.
LOSING CRISPNESS
“Frozen vegetables such as peas taste good while veggies like zucchini, potatoes and broccoli lose their crisp texture once frozen, and taste waterlogged,” adds Kamble.
COLOUR CHANGE
Colour of frozen food tends to change after storage because of excessive drying (due to improper packaging or prolonged storage). For example, the bright red colour of fresh meat usually turns dark or pale brown post storage. The colour of frozen vegetables and cooked foods also changes because of lack of oxygen. The colour of poultry usually remains the same on freezing, but bones and meat near them can turn dark.
LOSS OF NUTRIENTS
There isn’t a major nutrient loss in the first stage of the freezing process. But later processes like peeling and blanching can affect heatsensitive nutrients like vitamin B. Vitamin C is susceptible to air and the longer a fruit is frozen, the more vitamin C is lost. On average, about 50 per cent of vitamin C levels decrease in frozen foods. Methods of cooking also decrease nutritional content. Frozen foods actually retain more of their nutrients than fresh or canned vegetables.
POINT OF PRESERVATIVES
Preservatives are added to food items to help them last longer. They can be either natural preservatives like salt or sugar, or complex chemicals manufactured in laboratories. To avoid high consumption of preservatives in your diet, eat fresh, whole foods which have been cooked by you. When it comes to frozen foods, some of them may not contain preservatives as freezing naturally leads to a longer shelf life. At the same time, a lot of frozen meals may contain high levels of preservatives. Check the label to be on the safer side.
The challenge always is to
TIP:
- To reduce loss of nutrients, steam frozen vegetables in the microwave in little or no water.
- Roasting vegetables can also help retain the nutrients.
- Use fruits and vegetables as soon as possible, whether they are frozen, fresh or canned.
Find healthy frozen meals which taste good but won’t damage your health.
Here are a few tips to help you choose frozen meals:
- Read the nutrition facts column on the package to make sure your choice is a healthy one.
- “Be very careful when reading the label on the food packet,” says nutritionist Madhuri Ruia. Check the portion size on the top of the nutrition label.
- Look for entrees which include plenty of vegetables.
- These tend to be lower in calories and higher in vitamins, minerals as well as fibre which make the meal filling.
- Opt for brown rice or whole grains whenever possible, and choose lean meat, fish, or chicken.
If you’re on a low-salt diet, look for meals with less than 800 mg of sodium. You can divide the total number of sodium mgs recommended per day by three and use that number as a guide when selecting frozen foods.
- “Most importantly, don’t assume that package claims are always what they seem,” says Ruia.
Opt for items which
1. Have calories in the range of 250 to 300
2. Consist of less than 4 gm of saturated fat
3. Have less than 800 mg of sodium
4. Have at least 3 to 5 gms of fibre
Shikha Desai
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIM/2012/06/30&PageLabel=39&EntityId=Ar03900&ViewMode=HTML
- Read the nutrition facts column on the package to make sure your choice is a healthy one.
- “Be very careful when reading the label on the food packet,” says nutritionist Madhuri Ruia. Check the portion size on the top of the nutrition label.
- Look for entrees which include plenty of vegetables.
- These tend to be lower in calories and higher in vitamins, minerals as well as fibre which make the meal filling.
- Opt for brown rice or whole grains whenever possible, and choose lean meat, fish, or chicken.
If you’re on a low-salt diet, look for meals with less than 800 mg of sodium. You can divide the total number of sodium mgs recommended per day by three and use that number as a guide when selecting frozen foods.
- “Most importantly, don’t assume that package claims are always what they seem,” says Ruia.
Opt for items which
1. Have calories in the range of 250 to 300
2. Consist of less than 4 gm of saturated fat
3. Have less than 800 mg of sodium
4. Have at least 3 to 5 gms of fibre
Shikha Desai
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIM/2012/06/30&PageLabel=39&EntityId=Ar03900&ViewMode=HTML
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