The human body is an amazing machine that should be treated with respect and one of the best ways to do this is to properly nourish it by eating lots of fruit and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are packed full of vital minerals and nutrients and frozen is a great way to ensure you have year-round accessibility to this important food group.

It is known that eating plenty of fruit and vegetables can help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, reduce blood pressure and even prevent some types of cancer. The Department of Health recommends people to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day, which should make up at least one third of your daily food intake. However, the latest dietary guidelines coming from the other side of the pond call for five to thirteen portions per day, depending on your calorie intake. Still most of us struggle to manage to consume half of the recommended five daily servings!

Frozen is a great way of including more fruit and vegetables into your daily meal plan. Not only can frozen food be just as nutritious as fresh, but buying frozen also means that you can buy in bulk and know that the products will not wither away in your fridge. This way, you will always have fruit and vegetables at hand without having to constantly run to the shop to stock up. Making frozen fruit and vegetables a staple part of your diet can also help you save money, as frozen products are available at affordable prices year-round!

When shopping it is vital to remember that variety is as important as quantity. No single fruit or veg will provide you with all the nutrients needed to keep body and mind healthy. So embrace choice and try to fit in as many coloured vegetables and fruits as possible each day. Next time you visit the freezer aisles buy a selection of colours for maximum nutritional benefits. Think dark green, red, yellow and orange.

What is a portion?

It isn’t always easy knowing how much is enough; in truth people of different sizes have different needs. But on average, for adults, one portion is approximately 80g of fruit or vegetables; for children a portion is roughly what they are able to heap in the palm of their hand. 80g can be:

• 1 frozen apple or mandarin
• 3 heaped tablespoons of frozen fruit mix
• 3 heaped tablespoons of frozen carrots, peas or sweetcorn
• A handful of frozen berries or grapes
• A handful of mango or peach chunks
• 2 frozen broccoli florets

Adhering to portion sizes is still important when it comes to fruit and vegetables. For instance, fruits are rich in sugar, but just because it’s natural doesn’t mean that you can’t have too much of a good thing. You still need room for protein, grains and other components of a healthy diet.

Great ways to include frozen fruit and vegetables in your diet:

Frozen vegetables require no preparation. Put a handful of carrots in a bag and leave to defrost for a healthy afternoon snack.

• Use frozen vegetables to prepare a quick and trouble-free stir-fry.
• Add frozen berries to muesli or yoghurt as a snack.
• Frozen fruits are an essential ingredient for smoothies – a healthy snack for any time of day.

For more great ways to enjoy frozen fruits visit: www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org

Cooking your frozen vegetables

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• It is easy to overcook vegetables – losing vitamins and minerals in the process – so ideally steam rather than boil and cover the pan tightly This speeds up the cooking and fewer nutrients escape.
• Don’t use too much water. Re-use the cooking water for a vegetable soup; just throw in a mix of frozen vegetables cook up with dried lentils to complete the dish