Summer is the season of all things fresh and there is an abundance of in-season produce on our shelves. We know that fruits and vegetables are packed with nutrients and phytochemicals that promote health and decrease risk for disease, so since we’ll all be eating loads of fruit and veg this summer season, I thought to touch on a common question: Fresh versus frozen versus canned?

Is Fresh Better?

We tend to believe that fresh is always better, probably because fresh produce (if it hasn’t been overcooked) arrives on our plates with its appearance largely unchanged. Also canned foods are generally regarded as having higher amounts of added salt and sugar. It also seems unreasonable to think that food that is processed months before it is eaten could actually still be nutritious.

On the other hand, it’s important to remember that fresh fruit and vegetables are most often transported over long distances and then stored or left to sit on supermarket shelves. The time between harvesting, purchasing and eating can be lengthy causing fresh fruit and vegetables to lose some of their nutritional value due to exposure to light and air.

Their taste and texture can also be affected during this handling period. On the other hand, frozen and canned produce is generally harvested and packaged almost immediately, using advanced technologies and preserving it at its peak of freshness.

Studies by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and US Department of Agriculture, have compared nutrients in raw, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables. Results show that fresh, frozen or canned versions of the same food have relatively equivalent nutrient profiles and nutrients are generally not lost during canning or freezing, remaining largely intact.

In fact, some studies found that the nutrient content for certain nutrients were higher in the frozen than in the raw version, probably due to transport and storage conditions. Other studies have found that processing may increase the levels of certain phytochemicals, for example, higher levels of lycopene are found in canned tomato products.

The Bottom Line

So the bottom line is that fresh, canned and frozen fruit and vegetables can be used interchangeably in the diet and are equally as helpful and nutritious. Truly fresh, meaning eaten very soon after harvest remains nutritionally ideal, but in practice, this is most often not feasible.

Take advantage of the variety of fresh, canned and frozen fruit and vegetables to help you reach your five-a-day. The canned and frozen versions are often less expensive than their fresh counterparts. Choose fruit, canned in its own juice, not in syrup. Freezing and canning also allow out-of-season produce to be available throughout the year.