Calcium and Frozen Vegetables

Pete Acker · 03-07-2008, 10:44 AM

Hey everyone,

I keep reading about these vegetables that are supposed to be good sources of calcium (spinach, broccoli, cauliflower...) but the nutrition contents on the bags of frozen varieties show very little if any calcium content - what's the deal?

Thanks,

Pete

Rachel Hughes · 03-07-2008, 08:43 PM

Hey there,

Fruits and veggies generally lose a lot of nutrients after they're frozen...eat 'em fresh whenever possible, if you want your calcium.

Scott Allen Hanson · 03-07-2008, 09:48 PM

You really shouldn't see a significant decrease in calcium from freezing. Minerals, such as calcium, are generally stable. Vitamins, on the other hand, are degraded by heat, light, pH, etc.

One possible caveat is if the vegetables were cooked in water before freezing that allowed leaching of minerals into the cooking water.

The USDA food composition web-site actually shows an increased calcium content for frozen spinach versus fresh. Check the web-site here (WFS):

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

03-07-2008, 10:44 AM	#1
Pete Acker Member Profile: Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Auburn AL Posts: 21	Calcium and Frozen Vegetables Hey everyone, I keep reading about these vegetables that are supposed to be good sources of calcium (spinach, broccoli, cauliflower...) but the nutrition contents on the bags of frozen varieties show very little if any calcium content - what's the deal? Thanks, Pete

03-07-2008, 08:43 PM	#2
Rachel Hughes Member Profile: Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Boulder Colorado Posts: 11	Re: Calcium and Frozen Vegetables Hey there, Fruits and veggies generally lose a lot of nutrients after they're frozen...eat 'em fresh whenever possible, if you want your calcium.
	Last edited by Rachel Hughes; 03-07-2008 at 08:48 PM..

03-07-2008, 09:48 PM	#3
Scott Allen Hanson Member Profile: Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Idaho Falls Idaho Posts: 1,008	Re: Calcium and Frozen Vegetables You really shouldn't see a significant decrease in calcium from freezing. Minerals, such as calcium, are generally stable. Vitamins, on the other hand, are degraded by heat, light, pH, etc. One possible caveat is if the vegetables were cooked in water before freezing that allowed leaching of minerals into the cooking water. The USDA food composition web-site actually shows an increased calcium content for frozen spinach versus fresh. Check the web-site here (WFS): http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

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