I keep a good supply of frozen vegetables on hand, except for carrots. I don't like frozen carrots as they don't seem to cook nicely. I find them watery. I usually buy fresh vegetable when I buy my groceries but always have the frozen on hand. Frozen mixed vegetables are really good in soup.
I prefer frozen because they will keep forever and sometimes I will let things go bad by accident. I always keep frozen peas, corn, broccoli, and snap peas on hand.
I also have a weird obsession with eating canned green beans, but that is the only canned veggie I will eat.
Fresh is a must for carrots and mushrooms, though.
I'm frugal. Frozen veggies are generally cheaper (less waste for the store allows lower prices, plus they are pre-trimmed of all the stems and stuff and less wastage at home. I hate tossing fresh produce after it's wilted or liquefied, but that often happens when I buy it).
Frozen veggies are also often more nutritious bc the phytochemicals don't have much time to break down before they are frozen, often in a location that's not very far from where they are produced.
And I'm lazy and when I want something to eat I do not want to start the process of trimming some produce (yes, I also lack planning skills). So, I will pretty often pull a bag of baby brussels sprouts or asparagus or cauliflower or whatever out of the freeze, throw it in the microwave and come back in 5 minutes. Or toss them in a saucepan with a can of soup.
I like fresh so much better than frozen, but I always buy frozen peas and corn, and sometimes cut green beans or other veggies. Some vegetables I used to eat frozen and I can't stand anymore are broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts.
Fresh veggies provide a nice feeling of eating closer to the earth, but they're limiting in that they must be used within a few days. Frozen ones give me more flexibility and spontaneity.
Frozen veggies sometimes seem more bland, but it's easy to add interest by splashing on vinaigrette; tossing veggies in diluted A1 or Heinz 57 (to control sodium); or sprinkling on nuts, seeds, bleu or feta cheese crumbles, dried cranberries, chopped jalapenos, or other fun odds and ends. You don't need a lot of those extras to get zing -- just a bit.
Last edited by PartTimeHippie; 07-07-2012 at 09:17 AM.
For me it's all about convenience. Sure fresh would be great, but living in a household of two I quickly discovered we were throwing money down the drain because it the produce would go bad so quickly.
So it's much easier to by frozen items such as corn, peas, snap peas, medley mixes etc. and eat as much as we need when we need and it is working well.
