“However, although vitamin C can be easily lost during storage, antioxidants like carotenoids and phenolics may actually increase.”
Brown, healthline, 2017
I assumed this would be easier.
Fresh if X and frozen if Y. But without investing a ton more time, this healthline article will suffice. The variables are complex and I found it difficult to share guidelines. How many days old is the spinach at your grocery store? Was this bag of broccoli blanched? WTF is a phenolic?
Generally, (I say this without confidence) fresh are good but lose “water soluable” nutrients over time. Frozen are also good but can lose nutrients when they are flash boiled to remove bacteria prior to freezing. There is also another entire chapter on carbon footprint to consider.
Idea- What if food retailers (grocery stores, restaurants, meal kits displayed”days since picked” information?
Idea – What if food retailers had an accurate count of nutrients for the food real time as you bought it? Is looking at it enough? (again, another chapter about what happens to nutrients as you cook them)
Idea – Can you test nutrient levels before and after eating? How many nutrients can be used by your body when you eat them?
We can incentivize shorter, fresher supply chains. We can also inform consumers when and how to buy frozen veggies. Right now it’s tough to decipher.
I’m sorry canned but I didn’t even get to you. Your handling of BPA liners is enough for us to ignore you for now.