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The Truth About Frozen Foods

5th Mar 21

When we think about frozen foods, we think of convenience, easy storage and quick to cook. That’s what they are designed for, but one big issue is whether they are actually healthy or not. That goes for frozen ready meals, individual frozen items like chips and even meals you have made and frozen yourself.


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The Benefits of Frozen Foods

woman shopping for frozen foods at the supermarket

The act of freezing food was created to help people prolong the life of food items and make mealtimes quicker and easier for those with busy lives. Whether you buy frozen food from the shops or bulk prep food and freeze it for later, popping it in the freezer means you aren’t wasting as much food as if you just threw out whatever is leftover.

Food wastage is also a good reason to freeze food. If you live alone or tend to cook too much food, portioning and freezing items can help prevent wastage. Food wastage is bad for the environment and also bad for your pockets. There’s no point buying food if you are just going to bin half of it because it’s gone off or hasn’t been eaten.

The other benefit of frozen food is that if you aren’t that good at cooking, you can buy most items. These can just go in the oven instead of you having to prepare a meal fresh and from scratch.

Are Frozen Foods Healthy?

When it comes to frozen foods, one of the big issues is whether they are actually healthy or not. However, it is not the frozen part that makes a meal unhealthy. Usually, if a ready meal or frozen item is bad for you, it was prepared that way before it was frozen. Just make sure you check the nutritional information before buying frozen foods. Believe it or not, you can actually get healthy frozen foods.

The major health issue happens when it comes to thawing foods. Foods such as meat can cause bacteria to grow if thawed incorrectly. This can be harmful if it is then eaten and result in illnesses such as food poisoning. As we have mentioned, make sure you check the packaging for instructions to do this safely.

Preparing Frozen Foods

Stacks of pre-prepared food in tupperware boxes

The biggest issue when it comes to frozen foods is preparing them. No one wants to eat a meal that’s still partially frozen or cold. All frozen foods from stores come with instructions on they need to be defrosted and cooked. It is important that you read these and follow them correctly. Before you serve as well, always check the food is cooked all the way through. The outside might be nice and hot, but the centre could still be cold.

If you are re-heating a homemade meal it will be more of a trial and error situation. However, as long as it is hot and cooked all the way through, the freezer and then the heat from the oven/microwave will keep the meal safe to consume.

When it comes to thawing and preparing frozen foods, make sure you have planned ahead and checked what to do. Some foods take a lot longer to thaw than others. For example, some meat may need to be left overnight, but other foods may only need a short amount of time.

So there you have it, freezing and frozen foods are not as bad for you are you might think. Make sure you read the instructions, always check the nutritional information, and you should be good to go.


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