Election Day Debate

It’s Election Day, and besides voting, what better way to bid a fond farewell to this election season than with a debate? No, not a debate on the political issues of the day, but rather a health debate, one that’s as old as the day is long: fresh or frozen vegetables. Which side are you on?

For the overwhelming majority of Americans in the “health-know,” fresh wins over frozen vegetables in a landslide. After all, fresh vegetables are at their peak of ripeness; fresh vegetables don’t require cooking, thus preserving the vitamin and nutrients that are otherwise sapped through the cooking process; and fresh vegetables just plain taste better, making them more likely to be eaten in greater amounts than frozen vegetables, which often have a more bland, blah taste.

So much for the debate, right?

Well, similar to what We the People have come to expect from presidential campaign politics, it’s an issue that has more than one answer: it all depends on who you ask. What’s more, the answer largely depends on the situation (or in political speak, who is ahead in the polls).

For example, the Food and Drug Administration says there’s no difference between fresh and frozen vegetables because once food producers harvest their crops – be them green beans, peas, corn or broccoli – they’re blanched and flash frozen to preserve their nutrient density.

But ask any number of health professionals and they’ll tell you that blanching causes a leeching of nutrients, as much as 50 percent in water soluble vitamins, in fact. Further, once the vegetables thaw, there is an even further loss of those essential vitamins and minerals. And who’s to say that the vegetables didn’t thaw somewhere along the line in the shipping process before they’re re-frozen and then re-thawed?

Other health professionals say fresh is definitely the way to go because one can see the quality of the vegetable itself, the fact that it’s fully ripe (which can’t be determined when it’s frozen) and the avoidance of any blanching. But ask any tomato farmer and they’ll tell you that tomatoes are shipped green (unripened), which can often lead an untrained eye to pick a tomato that may look fully ripened but in reality is not (thus not as nutritionally dense). Adding more fuel to the frozen flame, an American Dietetic Association study found that certain nutrients were actually more abundant in frozen vegetables than fresh ones because they were frozen at their peak, while fresh vegetables continued to sit out in stores or in refrigerators, their nutritional muster slowly disintegrating. And in the case of lycopene, there’s more lycopene in canned tomatoes or tomato sauce than similar quantities of fresh tomatoes.

So what is one to do? Well, like any political candidate for office, no vegetable is perfect. There will be some vitamin and/or mineral loss whether the vegetable is frozen or fresh due to human error.

Overall, I have no problem with one consuming frozen vegetables over fresh vegetables if that’s what they prefer. But if one wants to get the best nutritional bet for their buck, there’s nothing better than fresh, organic vegetables, preferably from a local supplier you know and trust. This way, you know what went into the process of how the vegetables were harvested, eliminating the many variables one has to consider when buying through the supermarket, whether they’re frozen or fresh.

If the grocery store is your only outlet, I always opt for fresh over frozen. Again, there are far fewer variables to consider, like whether or not the vegetables were blanched before they were flash frozen, and if they were blanched, how long they were blanched for (the longer they’re blanched, the more leeching of vitamins). Further, while letting vegetables sit in the refrigerator for too long will reduce their nutritional vitality, you don’t have to buy them until you know they’ll be used right away.

In the meantime, just as any responsible voter gets “informed on the issues” before voting, I encourage you to do the same before buying. By this I mean learn the differences between ripened and unripened produce, what goes into the process of certain companies freezing of vegetables and when certain fruits and vegetables are in or out of season.

Oh, and as always, make sure to look for the certified organic seal on any and all fresh produce before purchasing. It’s the best way to make sure your vote – er, your dollar – sends a message to farmers that organic growing is what We the People want.