If you (like the rest us) over indulged this Christmas, you might be in need of some health boosting nutrients and some good old fruit and veg. But getting those vital vitamins and minerals, particularly from fruit, can be expensive and difficult in the depths of winter.

 

 

Frozen fruit and vegetables are a great way to get fresh, tasty and nutritious food, all year round and research shows that frozen fruit and vegetables, which are frozen within hours of being picked, are often nutritionally better for you than fresh alternatives, which have sat around on the shelf for days.

Why not try blending frozen berries to make a delicious smoothie, packed full of vitamins and flavour to get some sunshine into a dark winter day. We love blending frozen blueberries with low-fat yoghurt for a tasty, zingy flavour. Or frozen raspberries with banana and ice for a breakfast pick-me up.

 

You can get mixed bags of frozen fruit from the supermarket; blend with yoghurt or just with ice for an easy, healthy snack. There are loads of different things that you can do with frozen fruit and keeping berries in the freezer means that you can have your favourite soft fruits all winter long, giving you that much needed goodness to keep you and your family fighting fit. Experiment with different flavours and combinations to create your very own smoothie speciality. Check out our own hangover booster smoothie recipe here.

 

For winter warmers why not try a comforting soup made from nutrient-packed frozen vegetables.

For easy-peasy chunky vegetable soup, use frozen veg such as carrots, green beans, peas and sweet corn. You can buy bags of ready mixed vegetables or just use a handful each of whatever you have in your freezer.  Make 500ml of chicken or vegetable stock according to the pack instructions, add salt and pepper to taste and boil the vegetables in the stock until soft. You can then blend your soup to a smooth consistency or leave it chunkier if you prefer. Mix it up using different vegetables for variety. Why not try a broccoli and cauliflower mix adding single cream after blending or a chunky carrot and parsnip soup using the veg left over from a Sunday roast.  An easy lunch or tea packed full of vitamins for you and your family.

Another tasty warmer is pea and mint soup. Peel and chop a small potato and cook until soft in 300ml of vegetable stock. Add 250g of frozen peas, two teaspoons of chopped mint and blend until smooth.

 

For a special treat when friends come for lunch, we love cream of asparagus soup from frozen. Lightly fry pre-chopped frozen onion in oil, add 15 frozen asparagus tips and 500ml of stock and cook for 5-7 minutes. Blend the mixture until smooth then stir in 2 tablespoons of double cream for a simple yet sophisticated meal. If you’re feeling fruity, use a teaspoon to swirl some cream on top of the soup just before serving!

Using frozen ingredients in soups can reduce food waste and increase nutrient content helping you get your five a day throughout the winter. For more recipes and great tasting frozen food check out our menu pages here. Please do leave your own smoothie and soup recipes in the comments thread at the bottom of the page, it’s always lovely to hear from you!