High Five Your Freezer – March is Frozen Food Month

A month that celebrates what is in your freezer? You bet. Consider that less than a century ago, before the launch of quick frozen foods, consumers were unable to take advantage of the convenience and nutritional value of fruits, vegetables, meats and fish. Today, “frozen” has truly caught on with consumers who seem poised to take full advantage of the benefits. The race is on to feed healthy foods to our kids at home and at school, and all across the country people are paying attention to rising rates of obesity and preventable diseases. As a result, the demand for available, nutritious foods has skyrocketed. Nothing comes to the rescue better than frozen foods.

In 1998, the Food & Drug Administration confirmed that frozen fruits and vegetables provide the same essential nutrients and health benefits as fresh. What’s more is that quick frozen foods can actually be better than fresh because they retain their nutritional value longer, and they don’t lose nutrients as they age during shipping and storage. Foods like wild blueberries, for example, are picked and frozen at the peak of freshness, locking in all that antioxidant power, thanks to individually quick frozen (IQF) technology, and that’s exactly how they show up on your plate. And, fruits and vegetables like frozen wild blueberries are available in stores everywhere.

Consumers have discovered the facts about nutritional value, and they are demanding food that is available year round without nutritional sacrifices. A rising interest in competitive prices and low waste has only contributed to the budget stretching trend known simply as frozen. So go ahead and give your freezer a little love this month by stocking it with the benefits of frozen!

You can also join the fun by entering a $10,000 sweepstakes sponsored by the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association. Check it out at EasyHomeMeals.com.