Frozen veggies & fruits...

Are frozen veggise and fruits just as nutritious as eating them raw? Do you loose any healthy perks of broccoli if you steam it? What is your favorite grilled veggie?

Thanks!

I love using frozen berries - I add them to vanilla yogurt, cereal, make smoothies with them/milk/yogurt.  And frozen grapes are a great summer treat.

For grilled veggies - chop up your favorites (I use zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, onions, cauliflower,  brocoli - pretty much anything) and toss it in some calorie reduced italian (or your favorite) dressing.  Then grill it on the barbeque (or the oven works too).

Yes, they are just as nutritious. Some may even be more nutritious since they are frozen at their peak ripeness, and kept that way. As for the broccoli, steaming it is the best way to cook it without losing any nutrients because it does not come in contact with water. For the grilled veggies, my favorite is grilled asparagus, but I also love zucchini, squash, onions, bell peppers, etc.

Thank you so much! Grilled anything sounds amazing. Do you put it straight on the grill? Or grill it on foil?

I have done both but ended up buying a grilling tray thing for the bbq so the veggies don't fall through.  In the oven I just use a cookie sheet.

The grilling thing sounds delicious. How long and what temperature do you use for the oven method?

As a matter of fact... frozen vegetables & fruits are even more healthy than the raw versions because they are packed/frozen RIGHT AFTER being picked... retaining all their nutrients... Fresh fruits & veggies travel for weeks until you actually consume them, losing a lot of their nutrients! So stock up on the frozen stuff... it saves lots of money too! :) 

I use fairly high 400 and watch closely because they don't take long (I also try and make everything the same size so it cooks the same).  There are some good ideas here http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Grilling-101-Gril led-Vegetables/Detail.aspx.

Recently started using frozen fruits and also have been wondering about the nutritional value, very glad to find this post. Now that we know they are frozen right after being picked, what are the odds that they have been washed prior to freezing? With the rampant use of pesticides, I hope that there is at least a cursory rinsing??

Most, if not all, frozen fruit/vege are available from certified organic companies. Always the way to go. Nutrition will be the same, and you will know that chemicals were not used on them. Cascadian Farms is particularly good. Some people worry because organic often cost a little more. The few cents difference is well worth it since you will know that you are not eating chemicals. Watch for sales and coupons (go to the company websites) and you can save your change too.

Thanks much, lynnmm1961.

duh, never even thought to look for organic frozen fruit (frozen anything is a new thing for me!), thanks for the suggestion jannid. The obvious is often lost on me...

Thank you all for your input. Has anyone ever grilled slices of sweet potato?

Grilled sweet potato sounds like something that would be ultra fabulous. I hope someone has done that and will share a recipe! I just bake the things til the natural sugars caramelize. Nothing else needed - except maybe some pecans...

Just the thought makes my mouth water!

I love sweet potatoes - any way I can have them!  For grilling, I cut them into chunks, usually about an inch so they don't fall through the grilling basket, and place them in a plastic bag with about 1-1/2 TBSP. of garlic olive oil and some Emeril original spice for at least 30 minutes.  I grill them on high for a couple of minutes on each side, then cook them indirectly (high heat on empty side, and low or off on grilling side) for another 15 minutes or so. 

that sounds absolutely wonderful!

Thanks, Jannid!  I do most of my veggies the same way, sometimes just adding the roasted (or stir-fried if it's raining or snowing) to the top of a plate of salad.  Easy and healthy to boot!

glad you mentioned roasting. This should do as well roasting in an oven instead of over coals. Will definitely do this!

I always thought I hated sweet potatoes while growing up. Then I found out that what I didn't like was all the added syrup and marshmallows! I love the tuber.

me too, can't stand the sweet stuff and wouldn't eat them for years, but my cousin bought me a package of the baby sweet potatoes from Trader Joe's, so I gave them a shot. Just pop them in a microwave and serve (with a dab of butter). My eyes have been opened to a whole new food!!