If you’re ever short on time when cooking dinner, you might want to find quick, easy convenient recipes.

I sure do.

Many people bypass the fresh produce section and opt for frozen vegetables.

But, are they okay nutritionally? Are they allowed on Keto Zone?

Here are the facts and truth about frozen vegetables vs. fresh, and whether they are allowed on Keto Zone.

Keto Zone Coconut Balsamic Broccoli

Ingredients

• 3-4 cups frozen broccoli (or any low-carb veggies you like)
• 2 Tbsp organic coconut oil, avocado oil, or butter
• minced garlic or garlic powder
• salt
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar, or raw apple cider vinegar)

Instructions: 

Place frozen veggies in large skillet or wok. Add 1/2″ water to the bottom.

Cook and stir vegetables over medium-high heat until warmed.

Add oil and add garlic (if fresh). Saute until veggies become slightly crisp, about 3-4 minutes.  Add salt to taste and garlic powder (if needed) while cooking.

Plate and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Nutrition info (using balsamic vinegar): 100 calories, 7 gm fat, 4 gm net carbs (7 grams carbs, 3 gm fiber), 3 gm protein

Why Vegetables? So Much Great Nutrition

Whether raw, cooked, fresh or frozen, vegetables ought to be a big part of your Keto Zone diet.

Vegetables offer so many good things for our bodies. On the one hand, they offer phytochemicals (these nutrients fight disease), vitamins, minerals, fiber, and all sorts of nutrients that are not even fully understood.

Some vegetable nutrients, or combinations of them, are linked to cancer prevention, reductions and heart disease, and overall wellness (1).

And on the other hand, they are a great tool in helping us control portions of foods that aren’t as beneficial. They fill you up on a lot of great nutrition.

Vegetables and Keto Zone

While healthy fats are the stars of keto zone, proteins, and low-carb vegetables are great supporting foods.

Why do vegetables work? Unlike most fruits, they are low-carb and fit into Keto Zone eating well. You can still get into and stay in ketosis while eating low-carb vegetables.

Consider this: Most low-carb vegetables like broccoli, bell peppers, greens and more contain about 25 calories and 5 grams of carbs per serving. About 2-3 of those carbs are fiber.

If you add 1 tablespoon of healthy oil like olive oil, a healthy flavoring like raw apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper, you’ve got a salad that contains ~145 calories, 14 grams fat, 2 grams net carbs. That means it’s 87% fat (a healthy, anti-inflammatory fat), perfect for Keto Zone!

The Nutrition Truth About Frozen Vegetables

Believe it or not, frozen vegetables can be as nutritious, and in some cases, more nutritious than fresh. Why?

In many cases, vegetables that are sold as fresh are picked before they are ripe in order to have the most time available for transport to the supermarket or storage without spoilage.

Even so, they can lose a lot of nutrition during the shipping and storage process. For example, fresh spinach can lose about 50% of its folate in 8 days of storage. Too much, light, and time has an effect on fresh vegetables.

Frozen vegetables are treated differently. They are typically picked when ripe, blanched to kill bacteria that spoils them, and then flash frozen on site. This preserves a lot of the nutrients(2).

Of course, if you grow your own vegetables or otherwise know they go from soil to your table within just a few days, this is likely the best option for nutrition and taste.

But, if they are stored and shipped long distances, frozen often holds up better.

How to Pick Frozen Vegetables

Like most “convenience foods,” you’ve still got to know how to pick them.

Choose: Any low-carb vegetables that are “plain.” The ingredient list should only have the vegetable.

Avoid: Any frozen vegetables with flavorings, sauces, preservatives, colorings, and more. Good frozen vegetables don’t need any of this. What’s more, if added, it’s usually cheap, inflammatory, junk ingredients like soybean oil, monosodium glutamate, sugars, and more.

Benefits of Broccoli

Broccoli is a superstar among vegetables.

What to know more?

Here are 8 Proven Benefits of Broccoli, and one of my favorite soup recipes.

Bottom Line

Healthy Keto Zone eating doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Some convenient foods, like plain frozen vegetables, work great for Keto. Now you know the truth about frozen vegetables and how to add healthy fats for Keto Zone eating. Feel confidence when buying frozen.