From rooster seekh kebabs to jeera rice and dal, something will be ready inside 5 minutes because of the innovation of frozen meals.
The appearance of frozen meals dates again to the early twentieth century, however frozen meals turned commercially viable within the Forties. Clarence Birdseye, an American entrepreneur, is credited with growing the quick-freezing technique, revolutionising the frozen meals business. Frozen meals grew extra well-liked with house freezers within the 50s.
March of yearly is marked because the Frozen Meals Month to lift consciousness in regards to the comfort of frozen meals and its different advantages. In India, nevertheless, the place making ready meals from recent greens and fruits holds cultural in addition to well being significance, many myths revolve round consuming frozen meals. On the event of Frozen Meals Month 2024, Mid-day.com spoke to well being specialists who weigh the professionals and cons of frozen meals.
Pratiksha Kadam, advisor, dietitian, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Navi Mumbai says, “Frozen meals are varieties of edibles which have been subjected to freezing to extend their shelf lives.”
“These meals embody fruits, greens, meats, ready-to-eat meals, and different meals merchandise which might be saved at sub-zero temperatures to inhibit bacterial progress and keep dietary high quality,” provides Jashan Vij (@vijjashan), well being and fats loss coach.
How are frozen meals made?
Vij: Frozen meals are made by quickly freezing recent meals objects to extraordinarily low temperatures. The method entails blanching (briefly boiling) greens or precooking meat, adopted by fast freezing to 18 levels Celsius or decrease. This prevents the formation of enormous ice crystals, preserving dietary content material.
Kadam: The freezing course of slows down the expansion of microorganisms and enzymes that trigger meals to spoil, thereby sustaining its high quality and security. Freezing the meals helps keep its texture, color and style. It will probably then be put into airtight containers or baggage to stop each freezer burn and contamination.
How can frozen meals be dangerous to well being?
Kadam: Frozen meals can comprise important quantities of salt, components and preservatives which can lead to points like hypertension, coronary heart assault in addition to weight problems. Moreover, some could also be filled with unhealthy fat or missing important vitamins resulting in a poor high quality eating regimen usually.
Vij: Extended consumption may contribute to nutrient loss, elevated sodium consumption, and potential well being points comparable to coronary heart illness and hypertension.
How do frozen meals particularly hurt kids’s well being?
Kadam: Kids undergo most from the destructive results of such dangerous substances and components present in sure varieties of frozen meals. It will probably ultimately result in power illnesses later in life, stunted progress and improvement amongst younger folks, in addition to childhood-onset weight problems. Such comfort inherent in utilizing most of these meals may additionally make you want processed meals as a substitute of recent wholesome meals.
What are some widespread frozen meals simply obtainable out there?
Kadam: Widespread examples embody preserved greens, fruits, pizzas, meals (like rooster dinners), desserts (comparable to ice cream) and snacks. In lots of circumstances, they’re pre-cooked or ready after which bought when they’re chilly to cater for immediate wants.
Vij: Widespread examples embody frozen greens, fruits, pizzas, rooster nuggets, fish sticks, ice cream, and numerous ready-to-eat meals like lasagna or burritos.
Are there any well being advantages of frozen meals?
Kadam: Based on the textual content, if correctly frozen, such merchandise might maintain their dietary worth nicely and supply easy accessibility to fruit and veggies even throughout their low season interval. They will additionally stop meals waste by extending the shelf lifetime of perishables.
Vij: Frozen meals can retain their dietary worth, particularly when frozen shortly after harvest. They provide comfort and cut back meals waste. Moreover, some frozen fruit and veggies might have comparable and even larger dietary content material in comparison with recent produce.
What are some widespread misconceptions folks have relating to frozen meals?
Each Kadam and Vij share the next widespread misconceptions about frozen meals:
1. Frozen meals aren’t as wholesome as recent ones,
2. All frozen meals comprise numerous unhealthy preservatives and components
3. Frozen meals don’t style pretty much as good as recent ones
4. Frozen meals lack dietary worth. Some assume that freezing destroys all vitamins, which isn’t completely correct.
Which frozen meals do extra hurt and should be prevented?
Kadam: The worst sorts of frozen meals embody those who comprise unhealthy fat, sodium, added sugars or lack vital vitamins. Some examples are high-calorie low-nutrient contented desserts; pizzas; and ready-made meals which fall inside this class.
Vij: Extremely processed frozen meals with extreme added preservatives, sodium, and unhealthy fat are sometimes thought of much less wholesome. These can contribute to a eating regimen missing in important vitamins and will result in well being points if consumed usually.
Even veggies and fruits are bought in frozen type. Are they wholesome?
Kadam: Frozen fruit and veggies will be wholesome as most are sometimes frozen at their prime ripeness, thus retaining their nutrient contents. Nonetheless, some varieties might have added sugars or sauces that decrease their healthiness. Care should be taken in selecting frozen fruit and veggies with out further sugars or sauces to make sure nice well being advantages.
Do you imagine frozen meals are a bigger a part of India’s eating regimen?
Kadam: Frozen meals have gotten a bigger a part of the Indian eating regimen resulting from altering life, elevated urbanisation, and the comfort they provide. Busy life plus the will for handy choices have seen many individuals throughout India turning to frozen meals as a simple technique of making ready meals. Nevertheless conventional recent meals nonetheless play a big position in Indian delicacies, particularly in rural areas the place entry to frozen meals is restricted.
Can frozen meals be addictive?
Kadam: Frozen meals objects will be addictive particularly because of the excessive ranges of unhealthy fat in addition to sugar and salt. These parts set off pleasure facilities within the mind resulting in longing for extra and elevated consumption. Moreover, it’s straightforward to serve frozen meals when one needs a quick meal or snack.
If one needs to keep away from consuming frozen meals and but have choices for fast meals, one can go for handy options to processed meals. These embody recent produce, entire grains, lean meat, fish and do-it-yourself meals which have been ready earlier and refrigerated. These substitutes supply the identical comfort however with elevated nutrient worth in addition to decreased dangers related to dangerous chemical substances.
