How Frozen Vegetables Help the Planet

If you want to live an environmentally sustainable, “green” life, the easiest thing you can do is to eat more greens! A diet full of vegetables and fruits is not only healthy for you but it’s also healthy for the planet.

With each passing year, more and more consumers are expressing concern about the state of the environment, GMOs (genetically modified organisms) infiltrating our foods, contamination of our soil and waterways, and the cruel and inhumane treatment of both animals and human employees in many commercial food production facilities. Slowly but surely, the buying public is coming to realize that our food production systems are interconnected, and the manner in which animals are raised for meat or dairy or how crops are planted and grown has an enormous impact on the long-term health and well being of the end-user who buys and consumes them.

Frozen Vegetables & Sustainability

Food waste is a big problem for the environment. Don’t be afraid to stock up on frozen vegetables!

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Not only are consumers pushing for products that are environmentally sustainable, but more and more supermarkets and grocery stores are also supporting the demand. From stocking more regional and local produce to expanding their offerings of Non-GMO Project Verified frozen vegetables and USDA Organic foods, store managers are coming to see that emphasizing “healthy” alternatives can mean increased sales and happy customers. Fresh fruits and vegetables are often the first to “go bad” in your refrigerator if they are cooked or consumed soon after purchase.

Food waste is a serious problem for the environment, so don’t be afraid to stock up on frozen vegetables and fruits, not only will you have a longer period of time to use them, but they are just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts!

Eat More of These:

• Beans! Packed with protein, fiber and folic acid, beans are low-fat and filling, inexpensive and available in almost every kind of grocery store, come in canned, frozen, and dried varieties, and have a relatively small carbon footprint.
• Fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits. Take a look at each meal and snack you have throughout the day. How many servings of veggies and fruits are you getting? Look for creative and tasty ways to work these into every meal. For example, have a “green” fruit smoothie for breakfast (simply add some spinach to a pineapple, mango, or banana smoothie) and you’ll boost the nutritional value without any change in taste. For dinner, make vegetables the focus of the meal, and pack up leftovers for lunch the next day in a sandwich, wrap, or soup.

• Pump up the plant protein. Meat from animals is not the only way to get your recommended daily allowance of protein. Plant-based protein that is easy to include in your diet include: lentils, chia seeds, quinoa, peanuts, and tofu. These are heart-healthy, nutritionally sound ways to get the protein and nutrients your body needs without added fats, calories, and unsustainable food production processes.

• When eating fish-animal-based protein, be selective! Whether it’s pasture-raised eggs, grass-fed beef and dairy, or sustainably sourced fish, be aware of where the food is coming from and how it was raised. Meat, dairy, and eggs that are raised through environmentally friendly and humane methods are not always the cheapest, but the long-term impact the food has on your health is worth the extra money or the smaller portion sizes.

• Drinking water is great for you, and our bodies need it for optimal health and brain functioning every single day. Make sure you are drinking at least 8 glasses a day.

Eat Less of These:

• We know that packaged, highly processed foods are a super quick and easy way to ease your hunger when you’re on the go, but all the added sugars, salts, chemicals, GMOs, and plastic packaging aren’t worth it.

• Be cautious of conventionally raised meat and dairy products. Whether it’s inappropriate overuse of antibiotics, growth hormones, GMO feed, or unsanitary living conditions, conventionally raised meat and dairy products raise a number environmental “red flags.” Try to limit how much and how often you consume these products, as the cost to your health, as well as that of the animals and the planet, is high.

Not All Frozen Vegetables Were Created Equal

Here are Tommy’s Superfoods, the production of sustainable food is our #1 priority. We believe that our frozen vegetable medleys help to contribute to a healthier body and planet by promoting a plant-based, Non-GMO diet that tastes great with minimal food waste. Try them yourself and you’ll see how easy it can be to “go green and eat green.”