Are Frozen Fruits and Vegetables Healthy for Babies?
Frozen fruits & vegetables...
Are they healthy for babies and toddlers? (This 7 month old baby is munching on a frozen, defrosted strawberry. Frozen, thawed strawberries are an excellent option for babies because the freezing process softens the texture, making them easier for babies to mash with gums. The cold temperature is also soothing on gums that are sore from teething.)
Quickly heating a frozen vegetable like broccoli, peas or carrots is much easier than washing, peeling, chopping, and cooking.
But are frozen fruits and vegetables less nutritious than fresh versions? And are frozen fruits and veggies healthy for babies in particular?
Were they cleaned before freezing?
How do you know what the quality was before the produce was frozen?
What about bacteria and pesticides?
Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of feeding babies frozen fruits and veggies.
What are the Benefits of Feeding Babies Frozen Fruits & Vegetables?
Have you ever reached into the produce drawer with a plan to make a salad, only to find wilted lettuce and rotting vegetables?
When the freezer is stocked with bags of frozen fruits and veggies, produce is available and [almost] ready to eat whenever you need it. Greater availability means having more fruits and vegetables at meals and snacks. Which is a good thing!
According to the Dietary Guidelines of Americans, babies 1 to 2 years old should consume ½ cup to one cup of fruit and ⅔ cup to one cup of vegetables daily, depending on age, gender, and physical activity level.
Unfortunately, that's not happening.
Approximately 60% of toddlers eat the recommended amount of fruit and only about 10% of 1 to 2-year-old toddlers eat the recommended amount of vegetables, with 5% of those vegetables coming from snacks like potato chips.
As a pediatric dietitian, my goal is to help parents build variety, balance and nutrient-density into family meals and snacks, with an eye toward including fruits and vegetables every day in a variety of different forms. Frozen vegetables and fruits help make that goal easier, because they are convenient, affordable, and long-lasting.
Here are some additional benefits of frozen vegetables and fruits:
Farm fresh produce is frozen at peak ripeness, which “locks in” nutrients
A rainbow of produce is always available in your freezer, regardless of season
Flash frozen produce retains most vitamins and minerals, so it's a nutritious alternative to fresh stored fruits and veggies
Freezing preserves food without the use of preservatives and additives
Produce is conveniently cleaned, peeled, pitted, and sliced for you
The consistency makes a nice, frothy smoothie!
Cooked frozen vegetables are soft and easy for babies to chew and swallow
Some frozen produce may even outperform fresh in levels of certain nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, fiber, riboflavin, vitamins C and E, and total phenolics, according to a 2015 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Best frozen vegetables & fruits for babies:
Below is a list of frozen vegetables and fruits that work particularly well for babies from about 6 months of age who are showing signs of readiness for solids. These foods freeze well and are versatile and highly nutritious. Look for the plain varieties at the grocery store that are frozen without sauce, added sugars or added salt.
Spinach - cook chopped spinach and let babies self-feed. Or, add spinach to this baby-friendly omelet. Tip: squeeze the excess water out of defrosted spinach before using it in recipes.
Broccoli - cooked and chopped broccoli florets are an excellent food for baby-led weaning. (Yes, babies will eat broccoli!) Babies can self-feed tender-cooked broccoli florets using a palmar grasp (usually 6-9 months) or broccoli chopped into small, chick-pea sized, tender bites for babies using a pincer grasp (usually 9-12 months). Try also tossing it in soups, casseroles, or baby-friendly stir-fries. Frozen broccoli is amazing in this soup that the whole family can enjoy together.
Cauliflower - offer chopped, mashed, or pureed cauliflower to babies to self-feed.
Butternut squash - cube the butternut squash into small, tender bites so your baby can easily pick it up. This fall favorite also whips up into a nice and thick mash or puree for an easy side dish.
Strawberries - frozen strawberries that are defrosted are soft, squishy, and an excellent texture for babies who are learning to eat.
Mango - frozen mangos pureed with plain, full-fat yogurt whip into a creamy, nutritious, cold treat that babies love.
Is there a Downside to Frozen Produce?
Freezing can damage a plant’s cell structure, changing the texture. Defrosted fruits and veggies can be soft and watery and won't work in all recipes. And you might not like the changes in flavor, appearance, and textures of certain veggies. For example, frozen veggies won't caramelize in the oven or on the grill, and they're much softer (which is good for babies!)
Some brands also have frozen vegetables in high sodium sauces, while other fruit smoothie mixes contain added sugars. When feeding a baby, skip the extra sodium and added sugar and save room instead for the valuable nutrients babies need.
Not all vegetables freeze well. Freezing wilts leafy greens. Heartier leafy greens like spinach and kale freeze well, but they are limited to use in soups or casseroles or as a cooked side dish. Lettuce or other greens that you'd typically eat raw cannot be frozen.
Are Frozen Fruits & Veggies Safe for Babies?
Consumer Reports tested 300 samples of eight kinds of frozen produce, and they didn't find bacteria in amounts that would make someone sick.
Frozen fruits and vegetables are considered low risk for bacterial contamination. They can still contain Listeria monocytogenes, salmonella, and E. coli, the bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses, but cases are very rare.
Recently, the food industry took additional steps to ensure the safety of frozen fruits and vegetables. For example, they sample for listeria and have established methods to clean and sanitize the freezing equipment.
During processing, most frozen vegetables are first blanched in hot water or steamed but are not cooked. The low temperatures of freezing inactivate harmful bacteria but still may contain some bacteria. So, frozen veggies still need to be cooked, in order to make them safe to eat.
But don’t worry, you don’t need to cook frozen fruit! According to the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), because of the way they are cleaned during processing, frozen berries and other fruits are safe and don't require cooking.
What to Look for when Buying Frozen Fruits & Veggies
Most people choose frozen produce by brand, price, or whatever is available at the store. Here's more information to help you decide between all the available options in the frozen food section.
Organic vs Conventional
You can get either or both organic or non-organic frozen fruits and vegetables. Both are great, but know that there is no evidence that organic produce is “healthier” than fresh.
Some organically grown produce is kinder to the planet; if you prefer to shop organic and it’s in your budget, it’s helpful to look for the USDA Organic Label.
Unless you shop at a specialty store, you might not find a huge variety of frozen organic produce at your regular grocery store, which is fine - a smarter goal than eating only organic produce is to aim for more fruits and vegetables overall!
Grades
Did you know that frozen fruit and veggies are graded for quality?
The USDA has a grading system for individual fruits, mixed vegetables, and vegetables. The grades allow manufacturers to standardize fresh farm foods, but grading is voluntary. So, you won't see a USDA grade on all frozen fruits and vegetable packages.
You might see U.S. Grade A (fancy), U.S. Grade B (choice), U.S. Grade C, and U.S. Grade D (substandard). When harvested, grades are determined by the food's size, odor, flavor, and defects. All the grades are edible, but you may notice a difference in taste and texture between the grades.
Tip: Use Grade A as a side dish. And use the Grade B and C fruits and veggies in smoothies, soups, casseroles, and purees.
Mechanically Processed
Frozen fruits and vegetables come in a variety of ways.
For example, spinach comes chopped or whole leaf. And broccoli is available as florets, chopped, or premium florets with longer stems. It depends on what you prefer and what works best for the meal.
As for fruit, strawberries come sliced or whole. And some fruit smoothie blends have added sugar (best to avoid when feeding a baby or toddler).
Can you make Homemade Baby Food from Frozen Fruits & Vegetables?
Not only can you use frozen produce to make baby food, it’s often easier to mash and puree frozen fruits and vegetables.
Here are a few tips for making baby food with frozen fruits and vegetables:
Thaw fruits and vegetables first
Cook all vegetables (frozen fruit doesn’t need to be cooked)
Mash, puree, or chop
Store in individual BPA-safe containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days
Don’t refreeze after thawing
Final Thoughts
Frozen vegetables and fruits are an excellent way for us to get more produce into meals and snacks for babies and kids. That freezer stocked with frozen fruits and veggies has been a lifesaver for me many times when there's no time to wash, peel, and chop.
And they're healthy and safe for babies and kids as long as you cook frozen veggies. (Remember, blanching and steaming during processing doesn't kill all the bacteria.)
If you’re getting ready to start your baby on solids, download my FREE Baby-Led Feeding Essential Checklist to make sure you have everything you need to get started. You might also want to check out my new online course for parents, based on my best-selling book which will walk you through the whole process of starting solids using a baby-led approach.
Alternatively, if your baby is almost ready to start solids and you’re looking for someone you trust to map out the entire first 12 weeks of your baby’s solid food feeding journey, check out my new Safe & Simple 12 Week Meal Plan! Over 30 recipes, weekly shopping lists, tons of balanced baby meals, a complete plan for top allergen introduction, & lots of guidance (with photos) on how to safely serve each food.
And if you're looking for personalized nutrition support for yourself, your babies and/or your kids, I am currently accepting new clients in my virtual private practice. Looking forward to meeting you online…
