Produce Guide
Fruits and vegetables are important for a healthy immune system. If you can’t find fresh produce or are unable to have them on hand regularly, turn to frozen, canned, and dried options. Use this guide to learn how and when to use them:
Processed shortly after they are picked, frozen produce retain similar levels of nutrients as their fresh states.
Some frozen produce can be enjoyed as icy treats (like banana “nice cream”), some can be thrown straight into pans for cooking without defrosting, while others need to be defrosted before use. The guide below details how to use each type of frozen produce:
Processed shortly after they are picked, canned produce also retain similar levels of nutrients as their fresh states.
However, some canned produce is preserved in salted liquid (like tomatoes), sugary syrup or juice (like peaches). When choosing canned produce, look for low sodium varieties and ones in water or juice instead of syrup.
Dried produce has undergone a dehydrating process. Removing water makes them shelf-stable and smaller in size.
They make great snacks on the go! Just be sure to eat smaller amounts than you would with the fresh version as 1/4 cup dried is equal to 1/2 cup fresh, meaning overeating is easy to do with dried snacks.
