Most people are comfortable grabbing a bag of frozen broccoli or peas to keep in their freezer but skip the frozen fruit options. This is a shame, because frozen fruit can be an amazing addition to any grocery run.
Frozen fruit is fresh fruit that is quickly frozen and stored. Frozen fruit are often picked and then frozen at the peak of freshness and don't spend as much time in the sun or exposed to the elements during transport when compared with fresh fruit. For this reason, nutrients are often preserved, and in some cases, are higher at the time of consumption.
Take frozen apricots, for example. When compared with fresh, the frozen option had more antioxidants, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and phenols, according to data published in the Journal of Food Science. This study demonstrates that key nutrients in frozen apricots are retained or amplified upon processing. Likewise, the vitamin content of frozen foods like strawberries and blueberries are comparable to and occasionally higher than that of their fresh counterparts, according to the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.
Frozen fruit can be kept in your freezer for months and can be enjoyed year-round. Using frozen fruit in smoothie recipes, dessert recipes, and even enjoyed on their own is a tasty (and often less expensive) fruity option if you can't get your hands on fresh fruit.