Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Glittering and colorful, an array of frozen fruits, vegetables and seafood was suspended in a wall of ice near London's Royal Festival Hall this month. Built to mark the launch of a new Web site, http://www.thenewiceage.com, the display was part of a campaign by the British Frozen Food Federation to get British consumers to see its members' products as a tasty part of a healthy diet.

American Dietetic Association national spokeswoman Katherine Tallmadge says the BFFF raises a good point. Flash-freezing technology has become so advanced that many fresh and frozen items "are basically the same," Tallmadge says. The freezing process doesn't dilute the food's nutritional value.

In fact, when vegetables are "picked at their ripest . . . you have maximum nutrient strength" because they're in the environment longer and can absorb more nutrients from the soil, Tallmadge adds. That beats canned produce, which may include extra sodium, and foods shipped from far away and picked when not fully ripe.

For those trying to improve their health, Tallmadge recommends keeping a couple of bags of frozen fruit and veggies handy for snacking and when tempted by junk foods.

-- Kathleen Hom