Q: Are frozen and canned fruits and vegetables as healthy for you as fresh fruits and vegetables?
A: All fruits and vegetables - whether fresh, frozen or canned - help make up a healthful diet. However, there are some points to consider when choosing your produce to ensure it is loaded with its peak nutrients.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are the best choice if you can get them in-season and locally grown. Non-locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables are often shipped and stored; they can sit around for as long as two weeks before they get to the supermarket. During that time, they can lose some of their nutrients. Locally grown produce requires less shipping and storage time.
In their offseason, fresh fruits and vegetables may not have as many nutrients since they were likely picked early in their growing period and shipped from other countries or other parts of our country. Frozen fruits and vegetables are a great option when produce that is locally grown and in-season is not an option. Frozen produce is often picked and frozen at the peak of freshness, so it is loaded with beneficial nutrients.
Canned produce is also a great option when fresh is not. Watch out for fruits canned in syrups, because they contain extra sugar and calories. Also, many canned vegetables are high in sodium. If that is the case, rinse the vegetables under running water to eliminate much of the sodium.
Q: How can I maintain my healthful eating habits during this hectic holiday season? There are holiday sweets and treats everywhere!
A: Food is an important part of the holidays, but with a few easy tips, you can fully enjoy the holidays without straying from your healthful habits.
1. Eat a light snack before attending holiday parties. This will prevent you from showing up at a party famished and diving for the dessert table. Try a snack with protein and fiber, such as an apple with peanut butter. It will fill you up and keep you satisfied so you're less likely to be tempted by high-fat, calorie-dense party foods.
2. Keep up with your workouts! Often, busy schedules bump exercise off the priority list, which is unfortunate, because physical activity can help relieve stress, regulate appetite and burn up extra calories from holiday eating. Plan to work out at a specific time each day. Set it in your schedule or enlist a friend to go to the gym with you. If you don't have an exercise regimen in place, now is a good time to start! Enjoy the season: try ice skating or skiing, or take an after-dinner walk with friends and family.
3. Make plans for fun - not food! This time of year, friends are home for holiday breaks, and family is in town. Often, we make plans to meet up for lunch or dinner to reunite, or catch up over coffee and baked goods. Instead, get together with friends and family over a long walk or while doing some holiday shopping. Or, meet up in places that don't involve food, such as at the bookstore or a museum.
4. Check out Allison Parker's article (in this issue of Balance) for more great ideas about how to enjoy the holidays healthfully.
Remember, enjoying a few holiday treats in moderation won't break an entire year of good eating habits, so keep up the good work, and happy holidays! Janel Ovrut is a registered dietitian and graduate student in nutrition communication at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She has a BS in dietetics from Syracuse University.
