Essay: Is Frozen Food Healthy?

Frozen foods are the preserved food items conserved during the time between their preparation and ultimate consumption. It is an age old trend as the fishermen, trappers and farmers had been preserving their games since a long time. Freezing the food items is generally the process of hindering the decomposition as it the residual moisture turned into ice in this process. This inhibits most of the bacterial species to thrive. However, whether these frozen foods are good for health is the discourse we are dealing with in this article.
Generally, frozen foods have got a very nasty reputation among the experts. The British consumer group which is responsible for tracking the consumer grocery habits has mentioned that many people consider frozen foods to be quite unhealthy. Many a times they have seen that they prefer fast-food meals to a frozen meal.
Let us first find out what exactly happens during the freezing process. The fresh vegetables continue to go through significant chemical changes while harvesting. These chemical changes are the reason why they perish with time. This is why they are frozen to inhibit such chemical changes. However, the frozen foods contain the enzymes produced by the fresh foods and this enzyme causes the nutrient loss, color loss and change in flavors. Hence in this process, fruits tend to lose Vitamin C, a major nutrient consumers look for. On top of that, the enzymes are responsible for developing the brown portions on the foods. It can also develop stale oxidative flavors when it comes in contact with the air. Then, how healthy is it to consume frozen foods?
A recent study brought out in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics claimed that regular consumers of frozen meals are consuming fewer calories and fats (253 lesser calories and 2.6 grams less fat) than consumers of fast food. The more interesting fact is that the study also showed that the frozen meal consumers intake a higher amount of important nutrients (protein, potassium, fiber etc) daily. The findings, though impartial, were the outcome of a study conducted by Nestle, USA, the producer of several brands of frozen food. Nevertheless, dietitian Staci Nix McIntosh argued that the findings might not be completely reliable as there are several factors yet to be adjudged.
However, there are positive points of the frozen food. After many empirical studies, it has been confirmed that the frozen foods are as nutritious as the fresh. In some cases, if the freezing process is perfect, some nutrients are better preserved than the fresh vegetables stored for few days in the refrigerator at home.
Whether the food is healthy always depends on your choice. If you pick frozen foods wisely, then you might not confront much health issues triggered by your choice. Vegetables without sauce, foods with low sodium and zero trans fat should be your healthy pick. Ultimately your health depends on your choice.