With many cities around the world experiencing a second wave of Covid-19 transmissions, governments are implementing more lock-downs with draconian restrictions prompting more panic buying. Here in Melbourne we have entered a stage 4 lock-down for a minimum of 6 weeks, that is putting severe pressure on food supply in the supermarkets. This of course has led to people panic buying. The first time around people were loading up on processed foods whereas now it is the fresh foods that people are buying in bulk! While we are all familiar with freezing meats for long term storage, the question was posed recently - “Can fresh vegetables be frozen?” The short answer is yes, but there is a few things you need to know if you are going to do this as our nutrition expert Mel explains in this article.
Why Are Vegetables So Important?
First thing I need to cover is why are vegetables important? And why is it so important to eat a wide variety of vegetables?
Vegetables are packed with a variety of vitamins and minerals and you will get different health benefits from eating different types. This is why it is so important to include a wide range of vegetables in your diet to ensure you receive the optimal amount of nutrients. Green vegetables in particular are very important to eat everyday.
Another vital function vegetables provide is they are packed full with fibre. Having enough fibre in your diet is essential to your digestive system and overall gut health. Did you know that fibre plays an important role in lung health and improving lung capacity? If ever we wanted our respiratory system to be running at its best it is right now I am sure you would agree.
To read more on this topic read our article – How to boost your lung capacity with high fibre foods and exercise
In addition to improving our lung capacity veggies give a much needed boost to your immune system. Our immune system is like an army that fights off disease and a weakened immune system increases your chances of illness. We should look at these foods as nature’s medicine.
Lastly, eating more vegetables in your diet is a great way to lose weight. During the initial lock-down the average weight gain recorded was 6kg! During this period people were eating a lot of processed food with little nutritional value, and once this was combined with a lack of exercise weight gain was inevitable. By replacing processed food with fresh vegetables, not only will you get the nutritional benefits your body needs for a healthy immune system, but you will go a long way to preventing added weight gain and avoiding the dreaded muffin top.
How to FREEZE your Fresh Veggies
There is a few things you need to know if you are going to buy up on some veggies and freeze them. Here is a simple checklist to follow.
- Wash your chosen vegetable.
- Prepare and cut your vegetable into portion sizes.
- Steam vegetable for 2 – 3 minutes, or you could cook in simmering water for 2 -3 minutes, (at this stage do not overcook the vegetable).
- Place the vegetable in a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking process.
- Drain the vegetable and pat dry.
- Once the vegetable is dry, place in a dated freezer bag.
- Place in the freezer.
How to Cook Frozen Vegetables
Aside from corn, most vegetables can go directly from freezer to boiling water. Corn will need to be thawed slightly before cooking.
You should be aware that you won’t need to cook the vegetables for as long as you normally would. The reason for this is that during the preparation stage we have already steamed them for 2 – 3 minutes, and now we are simply reheating them.
My preferred method of cooking vegetables is steaming and this is how I do it.
- Use a covered pot that will fit your chosen steamer
- Heat some water over high until it comes to a boil
- Once it has come to the boil, place your vegetables in the steamer and cook
This is a very quick way to cook veggies so be sure not to over cook them as they will go soggy.
You don’t have to steam them and you may prefer to pan fry the vegetables. To do this melt some butter or heat up some olive oil in a fry pan, and then add your frozen vegetables and cook over medium heat until just tender.
Why I Prefer Steaming My Vegetables
Steaming vegetables is one of the simplest and quickest methods to cook your favourite plant foods, and best of all it requires little cooking skill. But the best part about steaming your veggies is that this method of cooking is the best way to retain the nutrients from the plant, providing that you don’t overcook them. As opposed to microwaves that tend to “nuke” the food and destroy the nutritional content the plant may have had.
When steaming different vegetables at the one time you need to ensure that the vegetables are cut roughly to the same size and you may also need to steam some a little longer than others. To avoid soggy vegetables you will need to place the longer cooking vegetables in first, and then add the remaining veggies as required. I find a timer helps with this.
Personally, I like my vegetables with a little crunch, so I will turn off the cooking of the vegetables a little early. Cook them how you like them and it may take a few attempts to find the right cooking time.
Top 5 Veggies to Freeze at Home
- BROCCOLI: Boosts immunity, promotes eye health, improves skin health, detoxifies the body, and helps to regulate blood pressure.
- ASPARAGUS: High in nutrients, low energy carbohydrate, source of fibre, improves bone health, and aids digestive health.
- ONION: Contains powerful antioxidants, increases immunity, reduces inflammation, regulates blood sugar, and helps to improve heart health.
- BRUSSEL SPROUTS: Packed with nutrients, rich in antioxidants, high in fibre, Vitamin K, contains Omega 3 Fatty Acids.
- CAULIFLOWER: Cancer fighter, high in fibre, low energy carbohydrate, packed with nutrients, rich in anti-oxidants.
Additional Resources To Help You With Nutrition
Obviously there is lot more to eating healthy and nutrition than the tips featured in this article. To help you out with all the other parts you may want to know we put together a great PDF report you can download instantly with all the information you need for finding what works for you. Click here to see more about this program and download instantly to your phone or computer.
Summary
I hope this article has given you some great ideas of how you can use fresh foods in your meals to improve your overall health. There are so many advantages to eating a wide array of vegetables and by finding creative ways to use them will make your food much more enjoyable and tasty. As you can see in this article it is not as hard as many think it is and you do not need to chef to put some great meals together. Always remember the old saying, “You are what you eat”.
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About The Author
Nick Jack is owner of No Regrets Personal Training and has over 15 years’ experience as a qualified Personal Trainer, Level 2 Rehabilitation trainer, CHEK practitioner, and Level 2 Sports conditioning Coach. Based in Melbourne Australia he specialises in providing solutions to injury and health problems for people of all ages using the latest methods of assessing movement and corrective exercise.
References:
- Precision Nutrition
- Weston A Price Foundation
- Nutrition & Physical Degeneration - By Weston A Price
- Big Fat Lies - By David Gillespie
- How To Eat, Move & Be Healthy by Paul Chek