Vegetables have been in first place since the survey began. Whether peas, cauliflower, broccoli – more than 65 percent of those surveyed stated that they use frozen vegetables several times a month. The result may come as a surprise to some, but quite logical to others. After all, the frozen vegetables serve as a quick side dish for home-cooked dishes or as a basis for soups and other dishes.
And that’s not bad at all. As the results of ÖKO-TEST show. At the beginning of last year, the magazine tested frozen vegetable pans. The result: Many brands are convincing and even beat fresh alternatives in terms of vitamin content. In another edition, all frozen peas scored “very well”. The fact that all tested products actually perform “very well” rarely happens. But there is a trend: In the above-mentioned test of Asian stir-fried vegetables from the freezer, all tested products passed the test for harmful substances with flying colors. Even then, cheap discounter dishes were able to secure top marks alongside expensive branded products.
Frozen food is not unhealthy or bad across the board. On the contrary: frozen vegetables often contain even more nutrients and vitamins than supposedly fresh goods from the vegetable department. This is because frozen vegetables are deep-frozen relatively quickly after harvesting. “Fresh” vegetables, on the other hand, have a long way to go from harvest to the counter and the nutrient content drops significantly due to the influence of light and heat.