The use of quick-freezing techniques means that frozen vegetables can often be more nutritious and contain higher levels of vitamin C, according to a British scientist.
Dr John Fletcher, from Unilever Research Laboratory, in Colworth, said during a Royal College of Physicians lecture that the merits of frozen vegetables should be re-evaluated following this recent finding. This was necessary as 60 per cent of Europeans (70 per cent of Irish people) believed fresh vegetables were more healthy than frozen ones.
Dr Fletcher is participating in a campaign by the frozen vegetable company Birds Eye to encourage people to eat more vegetables as part of a healthy diet.
"Through the use of quick-freezing techniques close to harvesting, frozen vegetables can actually preserve higher levels of vitamin C and other nutrients than fresh vegetables, which are often past their peak of freshness when consumed."
Other research published by the University of Wales, Bangor, indicates there is no such thing as a child who will not eat vegetables. The finding challenges the established beliefs of many parents and provides hope for those who continually battle with their children over a healthy diet - Ireland has one of the lowest vegetable intakes in Europe.
The main objective of the research - sponsored by Birds Eye - was to discover how positive influences could be instilled in children to help them adopt early healthy eating habits.
The findings suggest it is possible to positively influence children's habits; so much so that consumption in the long term can be increased from zero to between 35 per cent and 84 per cent. It comes down to how vegetables and fruit are presented and making them enjoyable.
Essential elements, the researchers suggest, are:
Education and increased exposure to different vegetables and fruit which help children's understanding and enjoyment of these foods;
Exposure to "heroes" who show that eating vegetables/fruit is "cool" - positive role models on which they base their own behaviour;
Rewards which can be used to further attract children to choose such foods and, in doing so, learn to enjoy eating them.
The research, over six years, focused on children from infancy to seven years and confirmed that five to seven-year-olds were the most receptive group.
It also looked at the use of language in influencing food preference. Friends, parents and other role models are a potent source of verbal influence. Similarly, hearing a friend, for example, express a dislike for carrots may prompt a similar dislike.
