Before you freeze it

Mona

Comfort and convenience are the two keywords that make consumption of frozen food high in our super busy lives. A perfect accompaniment to TV dinners or let’s rephrase it to Neflix dinners now, frozen food has been rising the favourite chart rather rapidly.

While claims and counter claims put the nutrition value of these meals under the radar, we speak to nutritionists on the best possible way to navigate our way through these rather modern hazards. Too tired by the end of day to cook, recourses one to freezer for a quick fix...

Better than junk at least!  

What makes frozen food a trend is the effort and time saved. Take out the veggies or fish or meat, make do with bare minimum cooking and one’s meal is ready as compared to regular cleaning, chopping cooking route. As for the food value, nutritionist Madhu Sharma explains, “Flash frozen refers to food packed in a little time, at the units, ensuring that the nutrients are sealed with it.” Comparing it with vegetables brought from the farm or sabji mandi and kept in refrigerator for days, frozen food has an edge. “In such a scenario, nutrition value of frozen foods would be higher,” shares Madhu.

What one needs to keep in mind is the distinction between frozen, processed and instant food. “While frozen food is good, when processed using salt and fat, it loses its food value while the calorie count goes up.” And she warns against anything that comes with ‘instant’ label. The chances with instant food are that it is loaded in calories with high amount of preservatives. That’s definitely good to taste but has less nutrition to offer.   

It’s a choice between the lesser devils, opines nutritionist Pallavi Jassal. “Instead of ordering total junk, frozen, semi-cooked meals are a better option.” 

Thaw it right 

How you use frozen food is what makes or mars its food value. The process of thawing has to be out of the freezer, into the refrigerator. When thawed on shelf at room temperature, the food must be consumed within an hour. “Stuff thawed on shelf cannot be stored back in the freezer for bacteria might contaminate and worsen it if stored any longer,” says Madhu.

Pallavi warns against microwaving it in plastic packaging. “While heating, for say up to a minute, is okay in transparent plastic; coloured plastic and cooking in it is an absolute no-no,” she adds.

Next pay minute attention to labels. “Be it frozen meals or paranthas, do read the labels for value information. More the sodium or fat compound, the worse it is. Madhu makes a case for freezing one’s own vegetables. “When one has time on hand, chop and freeze vegetables in the portion you are going to use, take one batch out a time.” Even with chicken or meat she advises to buy it in proportion to portions one would be using at a time. “Also, buy the frozen food the last when shopping so that one can quickly come home and put it in the freezer the soonest.”

Instant vs processed vs frozen 

• Know the difference – frozen, processed or instant. While the first has nutrition sealed, the last is quite low in food value.
• Thaw with refrigerator in less than 4 degree centigrade; avoid doing it by leaving it on the kitchen shelf or microwaving it.
• Pay attention to portion sizes. At a time, take a handful of peas that you are going to cook, and do not defreeze the entire packet; same for meats.