Fresh Food Isn't Always More Nutritious (with Jennie Norka)

Frozen food gets a bad reputation it hasn't earned. If you've ever felt a flicker of guilt tossing a bag of frozen peas into dinner, or wondered whether a frozen entree is really as nutritious as something made from scratch, this episode is for you.

I'm joined by Jennie Norka, MPH, Senior Director of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at the American Frozen Food Institute, to walk through what's actually happening behind your freezer door. We take on five common myths, one at a time: that frozen food is less nutritious than fresh, that it's loaded with preservatives, that frozen meals are automatically unhealthy, and that reaching for frozen makes you a lazy parent.

Jennie explains how flash freezing locks in nutrients at the moment of harvest, often preserving more nutrition than produce that's been sitting in your fridge for a week. We also get into label reading, a side-by-side comparison of frozen entrees versus homemade recipes, and one food safety detail every parent of a baby or toddler needs to hear about frozen vegetables.

Whether you're feeding a family on a tight schedule, a tight budget, or both, you'll walk away with practical ways to build balanced meals using what's already sitting in your freezer aisle.

In this episode:

• Why the "fresh is always more nutritious" belief doesn't hold up

• How individual quick freezing (IQF) actually protects nutrients and texture

• What's really in a frozen meal, and how to read the label with confidence

• A side-by-side comparison: frozen entrees vs. homemade recipes

• The one food safety step every parent should know before serving frozen vegetables to a baby or toddler

• Simple ways to build a balanced meal using frozen fruit, vegetables, and proteins

• How frozen food can help stretch a grocery budget and cut down on food waste

Resources mentioned:

• The American Frozen Food Institute: frozenadvantage.org

• Sign up for the Munch newsletter and more parent resources at thenourishedchild.com