Eating healthy is extremely important, especially if your goal is weight loss. At UpFit Training Academy, not only do we train hard, but we also focus on the lifestyle changes that are necessary to achieve all fitness goals. This includes exercise, nutrition, proper sleep, hydration, and much more. With rising prices, especially living in New York City, it can get expensive to only consume fresh, organic fruit and vegetables. As a result, our clients, especially the busy ones, often ask; are frozen foods bad for weight loss?
Frozen fruits and vegetables are often cheaper and easier to prepared than fresh ones
Wondering whether or not frozen foods are good or bad for your health completely makes sense. In a city where time and money are occasionally in short supply, wanting to use frozen foods to save on both of those is valid. So, can they be used when trying to lose weight? The answer is that it depends. Will frozen pre-made meals and pizza rolls help you achieve your weight loss goal? Probably not, given that they are highly processed, provide little nutrition, and probably won’t satiate you. This may lead to cravings or eating more food later in the day. However, if you are using frozen fruits to put into your smoothies, or frozen vegetables to make home-cooked meals, then frozen produce can definitely be the way to go.
Most frozen fruits and vegetables are vine-ripened and immediately processed
Most fresh produce you purchase in the store is not as fresh as you may believe. It’s often picked before it ripens so that by the time it gets to you it is in consumable condition; not to mention the processing and shipping it goes through before reaching your store.
On the other hand, some research has shown that frozen fruit and vegetables have similar nutritional content and that some frozen food actually retains an even higher amount of nutrients due to it being picked at peak ripeness before it is frozen.
So, can frozen produce be used in order to aid weight loss?
Definitely! As with many things regarding nutrition, there are some things to be aware of in order to get the most out of your frozen fruits and vegetables.
- Make sure you read the ingredients label on the back of the frozen package. Some products contain hidden calories or added sugar that are unnecessary, empty calories. Look for companies that sell only the fruit or vegetable without excess ingredients.
- Based on the nutritional guidance we provide here at UpFit Training Academy, you can create your own meals and freeze them for later in the week to save on time for when you might have a busier day.
- If using frozen fruits or vegetables helps you get them in and makes it easier for you to cook at home, then use them! Frozen fruits and vegetables are better than none, and potentially even better than fresh ones.
For more information contact us today at Upfit Training Academy
