does freezing and cooking change nutritional content?

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Darcy@Siteware.com - 23 Jun 2005 10:18 GMT

Is meat harmed by freezing? If I buy a tray of chicken breasts and put
some
in the freezer, is the meat less good for me after it has been frozen?
What
about those M&M's chicken breats that you can buy frozen? Are they as
good
as chicken that hasn't been frozen? If there is a difference, what is
the
specific difference?

When you boil or cook vegetables, does that harm the fibre content? I
usually fry them a bit on high heat and I realize in that case they
are
practically raw because they are firm. But if I boiled them till soft
or fry
them longer, is there an impact on the nutritional content?

I once added some protein shake to my oat meal and my friend told me
that
the protein shake was ruined by the heat. To what extent does heat
destroy
protein? If it does, then what happens when you cook a piece of salmon
or
steak?

Reply to this Message

joni - 23 Jun 2005 17:07 GMT

> Is meat harmed by freezing? If I buy a tray of chicken
> breasts and put some in the freezer, is the meat less
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> If it does, then what happens when you cook a piece of salmon
> or steak?

Some nutrients may be lost in the freezing process, but its minimal -
what freezing does is prevent microorganisms from grwoing and spoiling
the foods. Vegetables for example, are scalded before freezing to
prevent nutritional breakdown. If you keep something frozen for a long
time, it of course loses moisture and becomes inedible. I think some
people prefer fresh to frozen everything only for the flavor being at
its peak when fresh but there's not much difference or change in its
micronutrient breakdown that would matter.
http://www.agen.ufl.edu/~foodsaf/he384.html

> When you boil or cook vegetables, does that harm the fibre
> content? <<snip>> is there an impact on the nutritional content?

This article talks about cooked foods verses raw foods nutritional
content and how no set rule applies to all foods - some vegetables you
get more out of if you cook them while others are better raw:
http://www.post-gazette.com/food/20021114rawfood5.asp

> I once added some protein shake to my oatmeal and my
> friend told me that the protein shake was ruined by the heat.
> To what extent does heat destroy protein?

If you added it after the oatmeal was cooked, then probably no
difference, as you need very high heat to denature the protein value.
Even if you cook some recipes with protein powder, like say in muffins,
it isnt in the oven long enough or high enough temps to change the
protein value, altho the BV (availability) of how the protein is
absorbed or digested may change. Second question on this page may
answer yours better:
http://www.makeitlowcarb.com/mailbag_proteinpowder.htm
Btw it mentions that when cooked, all meat is 'denatured' but that it
doesnt lose its protein content.

joanne

Reply to this Message