The Freezer Aisle
The quick answer: The invention of quick-freezing technology is one of the best food innovations. Enjoy near-fresh vegetables year around.
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Preventing Breast Cancer
With December’s joyous arrival, come lists of notable 2011 events. Looking over those who left us, I lingered over Steve Jobs (made billions creatively transforming industries but lived in an ordinary Palo Alto home); Dick Winters (the remarkable WWII officer made famous by the book, Band of Brothers); Nancy Wake (a WWII English agent both beautiful and fearless, who fought with the French Resistance); and Bernadine Healy (MD, cardiologist, head of NIH, AHA, and the Red Cross, and a fierce advocate for the study of women’s diseases).
Dr. Healy, as head of the NIH, initiated the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), the observational study of 93K women, which did more than any project to reduce breast cancer. In 2002 the study linked hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with a higher risk of breast cancer. Within a year 60% of HRT women stopped filling their prescriptions, resulting in a remarkable 15% permanent decline in breast cancer incidence.
The WHI also found that the standard treatment for osteoporosis (calcium and vitamin D pills), though it slightly increased bone density, did not reduce the risk of hip fracture, and raised the risk of kidney stones. See this post for more on bone health. These two WHI findings were remarkable for refuting advice regularly given by doctors.
Clarence Birdseye (1886-1956)
As long as we’re remembering people who’ve passed, we should give a nod to Clarence Birdseye, the inventor most responsible for the frozen food aisle. In 1912 Birdseye went to Labrador where the indigenous Inuit traditionally preserved fish by freezing them at sub-zero temperature. (Fast-freezing creates smaller ice particles and less cell damage.) When fast-frozen fish was thawed, Birdseye observed, it tasted as good as fresh, and much better than the frozen fish he ate at home. Birdseye was the driving force behind improved freezing technology, and founder of the company known today as Birds Eye. His initial 1930 product line included frozen fish, meats, spinach, peas, fruits, and berries.
Here’s what fascinates me about Birdseye: Most of the inventions in food had bad outcomes—roller mills for flour removed the nutrition of the germ and bran; hydrogenation of vegetable oils to make margarine, etc. created toxic trans fats. But Birdseye invention—fast freezing—preserved food’s natural nutrients. Even better, he was inspired by a traditional practice of the Inuit—an example of reinventing food olden ways.
The Freezer Aisle
I visited the local grocery store to observe the evolution of Birdseye’s invention. Perhaps it’s the chill, but I had never taken a close look at the frozen food section. It’s big—over 200 feet of freezers line both sides of one aisle and one side of another—with thousands of food choices. The biggest section, almost 40 feet long, was ice cream. Frozen dinners and entrees had 30 feet, and pizza got 20 feet. The items of most interest to me, vegetables, got 12 feet, and fruit, mostly berries, got 3 feet.
The store posts the price of food in cents/ounce so I did a walking tour of prices. Surprisingly, the foods fell in a tight range. Turkey was cheapest, at 10 cents/oz; ice cream next, 12-20 cents. Dinners ranged from 26-40 cents, with the low-calorie varieties most expensive. (An odd trend, charging more for fewer calories.)
Cost of vegetables: In the vegetable section the store brand (which we rarely buy) had half the space. The private brands, Birds Eye, Green Giant, and Green Giant’s C&W brand, shared the rest. The store brand was cheapest, 16-19 cents/oz. The type of vegetable doesn’t matter—corn kernels, peas, string beans, chopped spinach, and broccoli all cost about the same. I hadn’t noticed that before. Mixed vegetables cost a little more, but I think the variety of taste is lost.
Green Giant veggies are most expensive, running 30 cents with the steamer package. Though it’s convenient, I’m not a fan of cooking vegetables in their package—seems like a good way to leach chemicals out of the plastic.
The type we buy most often, Green Giant’s C&W brand of petite corn, peas, and string beans was in the middle at 22 cents/oz. (Don’t forget that’s $3.52/lb.—frozen foods are a premium product.)
We prefer fresh but do buy frozen when fresh isn’t available. You can buy carrots year around so I was curious about the cost of carrots in the various forms. In the produce section fresh carrots (without tops) are about 4 cents/oz ($.59/lb.). Canned (sliced and cooked) they cost 9 cents. Frozen they range from 15-30 cents, depending on the brand. Bottom line: Canned doubles the cost of fresh, and frozen doubles the cost of canned. If food is available fresh, that’s the best value though there’s more preparation.
Bottom line: I’m a fan of Clarence Birdseye, and traditional preservation by flash freezing. We prefer produce fresh in the season, but extending availability through freezing may just help offset some of the problems with modern food. As to the more processed foods along the freezer aisle—they’re good in an emergency, but I wouldn’t make them a habit. One exception: ice cream, especially Rocky Road.
Please comment: Perhaps the toughest challenge of diet reform is to get the recommended five daily servings of veggies. (Cutting back on sugar is tough also.) Share your favorite ways of adding vegetables—including frozen—to your menu.
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 5:04PM | by Skip Hellewell | 20 Comments | Share Article | in grocery shopping, vegetables | Email Article 
Reader Comments (20)
Growing up my mom always cooked our frozen vegetables in the microwave. I thought they were gross- except for spinach. She usually cooked them in the packaging as well. When she was diagnosed with cancer she discovered steaming vegetables (among many other healthy things). She came to visit when my oldest was born and steamed fresh broccoli, adding freshly squeezed lemon juice and a touch of real sea salt. I fell in love. I stayed away from frozen for the longest time because I thought freezing them was what made them so nasty. That was not the case. Overcooking them in the microwave was the culprit. Now keep frozen vegetables in the freezer for last minute additions to our meals. My kids still don't like them, but I figure if I keep serving them maybe they will come around.
Quite interesting. I had no idea that's where frozen food as we know it came about. We buy all our frozen fruits/veggies at Trader Joe's or Costco. Most are much cheaper than at the regular store, and often you can get organic for a reasonable price. We use them all the time, often just quickly steamed or tossed on the grill.
With the weather turning so cold here in the NW we are loving roasted veggies in the oven- this week we have done tomatoes, zucchini, and spaghetti squash. Other favs are carrots and, of course, potatoes.
My fall back meal is orzo w/ peas, sometimes carrots, and a good Parmesan. My kids love it and I feel pretty good about getting real food into them in 10 minutes or less.
There is a real injustice that healthy food in any form is pricey.
I prefer fresh veggies, but have grown to appreciate frozen. I buy broccoli flowerets, corn, and peas most often. I will not buy frozen carrots, I think they are so gross.
My kids love berries in greek yogurt, so I have been buying frozen berries now that they are out of season. They love to eat them frozen.
Of course frozen fruit is a must for smoothies!
Speaking of your comment about ice cream, I find it hard to find any without HFCS in it, which I try to avoid. So we purchased the ice cream maker bowl for our kitchen aid and it has been fantastic. It was less expensive than most kitchen aid parts and it's just the bowl instead of another entire kitchen gadget to find a place to store. The bowl stays in our freezer and we can make fresh ice cream in 20 minutes. I've even made rocky road in it. :) I love it because I can control the sugar content. Turns out the ice cream tastes just as good with half the sugar. I'm not a fan of losing taste but I was amazed that it really did taste the same. I feel better about knowing all the ingredients in it too.
In addition to serving fresh veggies, I also sneak them into a lot of my kids' food. Zucchini bread is a favorite - made with whole wheat flour and no sugar. I puree a lot of steamed carrots to put in tomato sauces and I also puree cooked white beans to add to mashed potatoes. These additions actually improve the flavor and help my kids eat the veggies the foods they normally would only take a bite or two of.
Jess, zucchini bread with no sugar? Please share your recipe!
A few years ago I made a rule for myself-- I had to eat a fruit or veggie EVERY time I ate. I was pretty good about including fruits/veggies in meals, but not in snacks. Now if I have a snacking urge, I make myself add fruits/veggies or I just don't eat. If I'm willing to not eat, I probably wasn't snacking out of hunger anyway!
We love to put greens (spinach, collards, etc.) in soups. I'm not a big fan of greens plain, but even my kids like them when we have them in soup. We've also found that we eat a lot more vegetables if we plan on serving 2-3 different kinds at a meal. That way, even if you only take one serving of everything to the table, you get several servings of vegetables. The variety really helps.
I make what I call "super corn" from frozen corn. I start with chopped onion sautéed in olive oil and then add in a bit of garlic. Let that all soften a bit but don't burn the garlic. Then I add in some chopped up red bell pepper (fresh). I cook that for a couple minutes so it approaches soft. Then stir in a bag of frozen corn (or whatever amount you want). Cook it until it's thawed then cooked. Toward the end I stir in some spices like salt, pepper, a pinch of cayenne, and have also stirred in fresh basil or cilantro right before serving. It's a pretty good version of frozen corn. The red pepper adds nice color, flavor and nutrients.
You can also add in frozen, shelled edamame which has tons of nutrients. It's one of my new favorite frozen vegetables.
Great post!
I'm so glad to learn about frozen food (now I know why I love that Birds Eye brand!) Your past 2 posts have really spoken to me--I am fascinated by efficiency, and the freezer is one of my favorite tools to simplify.
What I love the freezer for is my homemade BREAD MIX!. It has absolutely changed my life! It allows me to make 2 - 3 smaller batches a week, rather than one big time-consuming one. We ALWAYS have fresh whole wheat bread on the counter. It's awesome.
My sister and I recently started a blog called www.simplepeasantfood.blogspot.com if anyone wants to learn how to do the bread mix. (just click on the archives, it was the first recipe we posted!)
I purchase frozen fruit from Trader Joes. It's a pretty good price. I always have frozen peas and frozen chopped spinach on hand. I add some spinach (and some lemon juice) to almost everything my kids eat (throw it in rice and the kids think they are eating Chipotle rice ;)). I always throw a little spinach into our smoothies as well. The peas are great finger foods for my baby. I toss some in a container in my bag and they are soft and ready to eat when we are on the go.
Jamie, I went to your blog, simple peasant food dot com. I like what you and your sister are doing, adapting simple traditional foods to the modern kitchen. In the beginning I wanted to add links to cooking blogs to create a chain people could follow. I looked for three factors: 1) the blog must have a health focus, using natural foods, 2) the blog must be noncommercial, no adverts, and 3) the focus must be on everyday food, practical 6-8 ingredient recipes. I really like what you've started and recommend your blog to others. It has a clean, well-designed appearance, and you take good pictures. Are you also a photographer? I'll also mention you in my next post. Please stay in touch.
Skip, thanks for your kind comments on our blog! It's been fun for my sister and me to swap ideas this way (we live across the nation from each other!) We have lots of ideas to share, so thanks for the mention. :) Your thoughtful research from the past year has forever changed the way I cook for my family!
This may sound obvious, but the easiest way to get vegetables on my table is to plan main dishes that revolve around vegetables instead of meat or starch. For example, a Thai curry with red pepper, string beans, onion, and mushroom only needs a tiny bit of meat, if any, and you don't feel like you're eating rabbit food because it's all cooked together in a delicious way. I think few people, esp. kids, like to see a big ol' pile of plain veggies on their plates, but if it's part of a delicious main dish it doesn't phase you. I love soup, curry, stir fry, salads, wraps, sandwiches etc because you can easily get in 3 to 5 veggies in one meal! And Skip, so glad you liked our blog! (I'm the other half of simplepeasantfood.blogspot.com)
Well, vegetables are the base of my diet.
I decided I wanted to be a vegetarian when I was 17. I had no support from my family in opting for what they saw, actually not giving any thought about it, as a restrictive, deficient diet.
The thing was, I was 17 but didn't know how to cook. I often think about the utter nonsense of this. In these post-modern stupid times, young people, when at home, such as myself before changing city for college, rely entirely on others for the most basic subsistence form: feeding ourselves. We are lucky enough if we rely on our parents, who in turn rely on their parents and their food tradition. And if they teach us some skills - which mine never really did until I sought it. This not only results in amazingly tasting food but in food that is way better than the bad modern advertised one that laziness and lack of thought have us adopt. Unfortunately, parents throughout the world are relying, heavily, on the ready-to-eat supermarket more publicized foods, and we, young people in general, but most definitely a lot of my friends - especially given college induced bad habits - are going down this slippery slope, not so much unknowingly as uncaring..
Given my stubbornness and the way the moral cause of fighting the systematic abuse of animal rights got to me, I convinced myself to start eating things I've never eaten before (like mushrooms and broccoli, I was irrationally picky) and, starting almost every meal with my mother and grandmother's amazing soups, I also pursued some self-induced education on basic skills required for cooking new veg main dishes. It has been amazing. In three years I've changed my diet completely and it's still in construction as I try to align my values with my body's idiosyncratic needs.
But this to say that in seeking transformation and a better diet I started my own food tradition based on a whole-foods, almost always vegetarian diet. I never cooked meat and only cooked fish like 3 times. I sought food markets of local farming and I go there every week. When possible and economically possible choose organic. And recently, since I bulk buy, I reduced my trips to the supermarket by one in every two weeks. Issues of protein complementarity started to elude me less and less as I started reading about the subject - by the way I'm so glad I found your blog on it's 3rd post, I'm an avid follower since then - and my diet is truly a plant-based one, covering a lot of the food challeges of WoWL.
In the beggining it seemed hard and time-consuming but it's paying back big time, both for my physical and emotional health. I find learning how to cook satisfyingly is one of the healthiest ways of gaining independence.
I've learned how to make potato and legume soups that taste almost as good as my mother's and grandmother's. They are the basis of my meals followed by well-seasoned salads or any vegetable-based dish. I pack my own lunch and snacks and often home-bake my own treats - often in the weekend when I'm now trying to cook ahead and better plan my meals.
Dinner today was a good pea soup with brocolli - slightly cooked with herbs and onion in olive oil - finished with an egg and a bit of vinegar.
I was raised by a Mom who loved meals from the garden. I learned to love almost all vegetables and our meals always included salads or veggies. However, my own children don't love them as much as I do. I tried preparing them different ways. At dinner, we always said "You need to eat something green." But the biggest change came out of sheer frustration. We were having spaghetti and salad. One of the kids asked for seconds of spaghetti and I answered, "You can have as much spaghetti as you have salad." It was a miracle, everyone took more salad! We have tried to continue this habit of eating as much veggies as you do the other food on the table.
I usually incorporate veggies in the rest of my food (roasted vegetables and soups being a winter favourite). I usually only cook meat when it's on sale, I have a dinner for people who eat meat or I crave meat (which happens every 5 monts or so). One of my tricks is to never use more meat than vegetable when I make pasta Bolognese (or never more cheese than vegetables if you make mac'n'cheese), even picky eaters and people who "don't like veggies" like my sauce! I recently applied the same technique on Shepherds pie, and it was delicious. (In case you wonder, my local supermarket just had ground meat on sale, so I have had ground meat to cook lately as I don't have much room in my miniscule freezer.)