Frozen fruits and veggies offer winter nutrition

From registered dietician Kristin Kirkpatrick on The Huffington Post:

Most frozen fruits and vegetables are frozen at peak ripeness so it all depends on when you are purchasing and what local farming season you are in. Summers in the northeastern part of the country offer locals an opportunity to consume abundant locally grown produce. In the winter, however, eating fresh means not only paying more, but perhaps getting fewer nutrients. That's because during the winter months, many fresh produce options have to travel hundreds and sometimes even thousands of miles to reach the grocery store. Each day of traveling equates to loss of nutrients. Thus, you're better off to purchase the frozen verities. Research shows that fruit and vegetable consumption declines in the winter but adding frozen varieties can be more a more economical way to get your daily five during those deep freeze months.

So, don't use the cold weather as an excuse to change your eating habits. Just change how you get your nutrients. I have found some frozen vegetables taste better than others. Beans, corn, spinach, broccoli and cauliflower all seem to stand up well to freezing, while softer veggies like summer squash don't do as well. Eat your vegetables, but watch out for canned veggies. They often have lots of added sodium.

And don't forget: Frozen fruit is always great added to you protein smoothie.

Kirkpatrick offers more nutrition advice in this slide show: 5 Common Food Myths Debunked.