Doctor names four tinned and frozen foods that are just as good for you as fresh

Tinned tomatoes they actually have more of the antioxidant lycopene than raw tomatoes

Fresh fruit and veggies are often touted as the cornerstone of a healthy, balanced diet.

But what if you were told that their canned counterparts could offer the same benefits? The NHS advises us to consume at least five portions daily for optimal health. Both are brimming with essential vitamins and minerals our bodies need, along with fibre which aids in maintaining a healthy gut and staving off digestive issues.

In recent years, attention has also been drawn to the fact that diets low in fruits and vegetables could increase the risk of bowel cancer. If you’re considering increasing your consumption of plant-based foods for health reasons, it’s easy to assume that fresh produce is the best choice, reports the Express.

However, an expert has disclosed that canned and frozen versions can be even more nutritious than their fresh equivalents. NHS surgeon Doctor Karan Raj, speaking on TikTok, revealed four fruits and vegetables that are actually packed with equal or even more nutrients when frozen or canned.

These include:

Tomatoes

Speaking to his more than five million followers, Dr Raj explained: “If you eat canned tomatoes they actually have more of the antioxidant lycopene than raw tomatoes as well as more calcium and iron than the fresh ones. That’s not to say fresh is worse than canned, it just has a different nutritional profile.” He added that fresh tomatoes have “significantly” higher levels of vitamin A than the canned ones.

Dr Raj continued: “If you cook tomatoes either canned or fresh you increase the bioavailability of the antioxidant lycopene even more. That’s because the cooking process softens the plant cell walls making nutrients easier to absorb.”

Blueberries

Frozen blueberries might contain more vitamins and polyphenols (plant micronutrients) than fresh ones. “Frozen fruit and vegetables can have even more nutrients than their fresh counterparts like frozen blueberries, they retain more vitamin C and polyphenols than the fresh blueberries because the freezing process slows down nutrient loss,” Dr Raj said. “Most frozen fruit like berries are often frozen within 24 hours of being picked and are often fresher nutritionally than the fresh produce that are lying around in the supermarket for days.”

Peas

According to Dr Raj, frozen peas have higher levels of certain types of B vitamins and E vitamins than the fresh version.

Spinach

He said spinach “often” has higher levels of certain types of E vitamins than fresh. “Even better you might be able to utilise iron more effectively from the frozen spinach than the fresh one,” Dr Raj added. “In raw spinach much of the iron content is difficult to absorb but frozen spinach is often blanched and packed into cubes before freezing meaning it could contain fewer anti-nutrients like oxalates thus helping you absorb more iron.”

His advice is backed by nutrition coach, Aoife Burns – from Zoe Health, who said: “Fruits and vegetables have the highest nutritional value when they’re freshly picked. But their nutrients slowly decrease as time passes. Freezing them soon after harvesting helps slow down this nutrient loss, preserving their nutritional content for longer.”