Frozen vegetables may contain more, or at the very least have the same, nutrients as fresh vegetables. Frozen vegetables are picked at the peak of freshness and then flash-frozen, preserving nature’s nutritional value at a higher percentage than fresh. Frozen vegetables quickly lock in quality and nutrients while fresh vegetables steadily lose nutrients after they’re harvested. Dr. Barbara Klein, a professor of food and nutrition at the University of Illinois, found that after three days in a freezer, frozen green beans contain twice as much vitamin C as fresh green beans that spent the same amount of time in a display case.

• Locally grown fresh vegetables are only available in season for a short period of time.
• Many vegetables grown around the world travel thousands of miles to reach your grocery store and lose their nutrients in that time.
• If fresh vegetables sit in your refrigerator after you purchase them, the nutrient levels degrade even more.
• The American Frozen Foods Institute points to studies showing that frozen vegetables can have equal, or higher, nutritional value than fresh vegetables.