Fresh or Frozen Vegetables, What Do I Choose?

     When considering what to buy, fresh or frozen vegetables what are some factors? I had to ask myself this through out the years and my answer has changed according to my circumstances. I considered how many times a week am I cooking, how much time am I willing to dedicate to meal prep and cooking, how many people am I cooking for and what’s the cost difference?

     So let’s break these down,

1) How many times a week am I cooking?
     When I was cooking almost everyday at least 2-3 meals a day, I was using mainly fresh vegetables. Then when my cooking decreased to 2-3 times a week I bought mainly frozen vegetables with a little fresh here and there. Why? Fresh vegetables can spoil easily so when cooking daily they are getting used quickly. When cooking less frozen vegetables are there when u need them with no pressing deadline to get them cooked, there convenient.

2) How much time am I willing to dedicate to meal prep and cooking?
     Time is of the essence somebody said and it’s true. Cooking is a job in itself that can suck up some time if you don’t plan ahead. Planning your meals is something to learn and practice. Frozen vegetables work great under time restrictions, they allow you to literally throw a great meal together in less than 20-30 minutes.  If you have more time and want to chop, mince, dice and so on then fresh vegetables are for you!

3) How many people am I cooking for?
     This answer is closely tied to how much time you have. In a large group it is easier for me to use frozen vegetables for the majority of the meal with just a sprinkle of fresh vegetables. In smaller settings I have chosen fresh vegetables because it was not that much prep and cooking involved.

4) What is the cost difference?
     I have considered where I am buying my vegetables at and how much do I want to spend? When I lived  on the west coast there were 99 cents stores  that carried fresh produce and it was legitimately good if you are not concerned about buying organic vegetables. It was cost efficient and they also had frozen options. Now a days I shop mainly at Kroger and Walmart and I go straight to the frozen vegetables section for my choices. Also there are farmers markets available in many areas but mine consistently was expensive on many items I have wanted. So for me frozen consistently seems to have cheaper prices lately.

     Also you may say what about canned vegetables? I personally don’t regularly eat anything in cans due to possible metal contamination but to each there own because at one time I did.

     So as you plan your meals daily, weekly or monthly test out both and you will surely find what works best for you. Happy Eating!

Now on to the next blog post...
Later, Crystal

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