Here at Tommy’s Superfoods, we take environmental sustainability very seriously – and chances are, if you read our blog and buy our frozen vegetables, it’s important to you as well. You might also be wondering whether buying fresh or frozen vegetables can have a different impact. We care deeply about the dangers of GMOs (genetically modified organisms), the use of cancer-causing herbicides and insecticides and their impact on the total environment. We are concerned also about how large corporate agriculture and food production frequently shows a terrible disregard for the living conditions of animals raised for meat and dairy, and the working environment for human employees.
These are very big, serious problems facing the future of our world, and it can be hard for an individual to figure out the right thing to do! Our best suggestion is to take small but steady steps. Slowly changing your shopping habits and eating behavior is the best way to make a new resolution permanent – and long-term changes have a much greater impact on our society and environment than jumping head-first towards a lifestyle that cannot be sustained.
Fresh or Frozen: Just Eat More Veggies!
One of the easiest things you can do to have a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle is to eat more PLANTS. Yes, we’re talking about vegetables and grains that are GMO-free. There are many books, blogs, films and podcasts that offer valuable information about the benefits of following a plant-based diet. Whether it’s Michael Pollan’s “Food Rules,” the popular “Forks Over Knives” cookbook, or the back-to-basics farming style of Joe Salatin at Polyface Farms, there are more educational and nutritional resources available to people than ever before.
When you’ve decided that you want to follow a primarily plant-based diet, the question will arise: Do I buy fresh or frozen vegetables? This is an important decision because one of the most significant factors in successfully changing your diet is enjoying the food that you’re eating! If you eat the same boring, flavorless salad every day, how long do you think it will be before you’re heading to the drive-thru for a burger or some other BAD food choice? Not long at all. So, it’s important to do your research, and some experimenting, and figure out what kinds of vegetables you like fresh or frozen.
When you start making changes in your eating habits, it’s easy to get really excited and buy more food than you can eat before it goes bad! Remember to pace yourself; eating a plant-based diet is a long-term commitment, so you’ll have plenty of time to try all sorts of delicious recipes. Pick some recipes you want to try; maybe a few easy dinner choices, a soup or creative salad for lunch, and something fun for a weekend brunch or breakfast. Make up your shopping list and stick to it – this will help to keep you from overbuying and falling into the trap of generating too much food waste.
Fresh or Frozen: Food Waste Prevention Tips!
Food waste is a serious problem in the United States and is a leading contributor to greenhouse gasses. While eating fresh veggies is a super-healthy choice, it’s not environmentally sustainable if you end up throwing them into the garbage every week. This is where stocking up on frozen vegetables can help. Frozen vegetables have the same, if not superior, nutritional benefit as fresh, but they last much, much longer when you keep them stored in the freezer. With frozen vegetables, you can use as much or as little as you like, and then seal up the bag and put it back in the freezer for another day. This helps to cut down on the amount of food waste you generate, and it also cuts down on your weekly grocery bill. Frozen vegetables are also great to have on hand when the cold, winter months come and the selection of fresh, local produce is limited (especially if you live in the Northern US). Many frozen veggies are also pre-cut or “ready to use” so that’s a help when you’re running short on preparation time! Tommy’s Superfoods takes convenience one step further by adding delicious, low-sodium and all natural seasoning to our frozen veggies.
Both fresh and frozen vegetables play important roles in following a healthy diet and you’ll want to include both in your weekly menu plans. If you’re looking for recipe suggestions to get started, visit our blog to get inspired! There, you’ll find dozens of suggestions for delicious meals and creative ways to use our flash-frozen vegetable blends. Once you try a few, let us know what you think by posting in the comments or sharing with us on social media. Bon appetit!