Canned, Fresh and Frozen Fruits and Vegetables all Provide Nutrients Essential for a Healthy Diet, New Study Confirms

Filed in archive Studies on March 17, 2007

I cannot help but think that this might be an effort to promote canned and frozen fruits and vegetables, but let us first give it the benefit of the doubt.

According to a study from the University of California - Davis (UC Davis) published recently in the online version of the Journal of Science of Food and Agriculture:

• canned, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables provide nutrients needed for a healthy diet, and exclusively consuming fresh fruits and vegetables ignores the nutritional benefits provided by canned products.


• eating a variety of fruits and vegetables in all forms are important to a healthy diet


• canned foods can be an important part of the mix when it comes to getting more nutrients, variety and taste satisfaction.


• how much a fruit and vegetable can contribute nutritionally to a diet depends on its processing method

Therefore, the study findings suggest the following mix to get the most nutrients from fruits and vegetables:

• Store fresh fruits and vegetables without a peel in cooler temperatures, such as the refrigerator. If they will not be used within three days, choose frozen or canned.


• During cooking and storage, avoid exposing fruits and vegetables to unnecessary heat and air. Use a cover when cooking, and choose steaming or microwaving over boiling. Store cut fruits and vegetables in a sealed container or plastic wrap.


• Choose canned, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables to get a mix of essential nutrients.

Well I would prefer fresh fruits and vegetables. But in cases of those not freshly available in my part of the globe - such as peaches and button mushrooms - it's great to know that we can still get nutrients from the canned or frozen alternatives.

Read the full report for more details.