The Times - UK (2020-09-15)

the times | Tuesday September 15 2020 2GM 19

News

Frozen and canned fruit and vegetables

are often better, cheaper and tastier

than fresh versions despite their less

trendy image, nutritionists claim.

According to Which?, fresh produce

could be no better for you than the

alternatives in cans, packets or frozen

aisles, which could have more nutri-

ents, minerals, vitamins and other

health benefits.

The consumer group said that by the

time fresh fruit and vegetables reach

supermarket shelves they will have

already lost nutrients and minerals.

“Once harvested, it can be weeks

before fresh fruit and veg reaches our

Frozen fruit and veg is best, shoppers told

Neil Johnston
supermarket shelves and shopping bas-
kets and during this time the levels of
nutrients can deteriorate,” Shefalee
Loth, nutritionist and principal food
researcher at Which?, said.
“Frozen veg are steam-blanched
immediately after harvesting to kill any
enzymes responsible for deterioration.
This keeps the colours bright and gets
rid of any bugs and germs. Then they’re
flash-frozen to ensure the vegetables
are being preserved at their peak taste
and nutritional value.
“Within hours of picking, frozen
peas, for example, are likely to be more
nutritious than fresh ones. Frozen fruit
is also picked at peak ripeness and
flash-frozen to keep nutrients intact.”

Ms Loth said canned produce could

also be healthier and while the process

of sealing and heating to kill bacteria

could destroy some nutrients, it also

provided benefits. She said tomatoes

contained the antioxidant lycopene,

which can improve heart health but

works best after it has been heated

because that helps the body absorb it,

meaning tinned tomatoes have more

lycopene than raw ones. Asparagus,

spinach, kale and mushrooms also have

higher antioxidant levels when cooked.

Ms Loth said that there could also be

environmental and financial advanta-

ges to canned and frozen produce, with

fresh broccoli costing £1.57 a kilo on

average while frozen broccoli was 86p.

“Often fresh is viewed as best, and

frozen and tinned are regarded as poor

cousins,” Ms Loth added. “But that’s not

quite true — frozen and tinned fruit

and vegetables are often just as good

and can sometimes be better than their

fresh alternatives.”

Stacey Lockyer, from the British Nu-

trition Foundation, said that canned

and frozen fruit and vegetables could be

as good as fresh produce but said shop-

pers should be wary of added sugar.

“Canned and frozen fruit and vegeta-

bles all count towards your five a day.

They can be just as nutritious as fresh

and are often cheaper and reduce food

waste,” she said. “When buying canned

fruit and vegetables it’s best to choose

those without added sugar, salt or syrup

— go for those which are canned in

water or natural juices. There can be

small differences in the vitamin and

mineral contents of fresh, frozen and

canned fruit and vegetables but this

varies depending on the type of fruit or

vegetable and the variety and values

are also affected by cooking method.

“So there’s no need to worry if you

aren’t able to get hold of particular

fruits and vegetables in the form that

you would normally buy them, you can

use fresh, frozen or canned. What’s

more important is to try to eat a variety

of different types of fruits and

vegetables and to eat plenty.”

Leading article, page 27

Fish added to Mediterranean diet ‘cuts risk of heart disease’

Living on a Mediterranean diet with

added seafood is the key to a healthy

heart, according to a study.

The pesca-Mediterranean diet,

which is rich in plants, nuts, whole-

grains, extra virgin olive oil and fish or

seafood, combined with intermittent

fasting, reduces the risk of heart dis-

ease, say scientists.

Because the traditional Mediterra-

nean diet is mostly plant based it can be

difficult to follow for meat eaters who

struggle to find an alternative source of

protein. Adding fish, which is known to

reduce the risk of heart disease, diabe-

tes, cognitive decline, depression and

some cancers, could be the solution.

James O’Keefe, of Saint Luke’s Mid

America Heart Institute, said:

“Although humans are omnivores and

can subsist on myriad foods, the ideal

diet for health remains a dilemma for

many people.

“Plant-rich diets reduce cardiovascu-

lar disease risk; however, veganism is

difficult to follow and can result in im-

portant nutrient deficiencies.

“On the other hand many people in

modern western cultures overconsume

meat, particularly highly processed

meat from animals raised in inhuman

conditions. We propose the pesca-Med

diet as a solution to this ‘omnivore’s di-

lemma’ about what to eat.”

NHS guidelines recommend eating

fish twice a week. An analysis of five

prospective dietary studies found that

the risk of coronary artery disease was

about 35 per cent lower in people who

followed a pescatarian diet compared

to regular meat eaters.

A pescatarian diet has fish or seafood

as the primary sources of protein rather

than meat or poultry.

Using olive oil instead of butter or

other fats, is also an important part of

the pesca-Med diet because studies

have shown it benefits the heart and

strengthens metabolism. It helps lower

lipoprotein cholesterol, for example,

while increasing high-density lipopro-

tein cholesterol, which is healthier.

Eating tree nuts is another important

part of the diet, because they provide

healthy fats and fibres. People who eat

a serving of mixed nuts a day had a 30

per cent lower risk of heart disease, a

randomised clinical trial found.

Intermittent fasting, which often in-

volves time-restricted eating or reduc-

ing the number of meals you eat a day,

can also have health benefits. This is

because limiting daily calorie intake

over a given period forces the body to

switch primary metabolic fuels from

glucose to fatty acids. The switch im-

proves insulin sensitivity, which is im-

portant for regulating blood sugar.

The findings were in the Journal of

the American College of Cardiology.

Bake Off ’s back after

a hunt for more flour

From a security guard to a sculptor to an accountant... this year’s contestants are revealed

1 Hermine, 39, an

accountant from London

Born in Benin, she moved

to London in 2001 to

pursue further education.

The French influence in

west Africa has given her

a love of high-end

pâtissérie.

2 Sura, 31, a pharmacy

dispenser from London

The many Middle Eastern

and Asian influences in her

heritage — including

Turkey, Iraq, Iran,

Syria and India — mean

she enjoys experimenting

with flavours from

around the world.

3 Rowan, 55, a music

teacher from

Worcestershire A fitness

enthusiast, Rowan swims a

mile most mornings, is a

keen cyclist and rides

horses too. Has a passion

for the Georgian era.

4 Marc, 51, a sculptor and

support worker from

Cornwall Spent his youth

travelling the world

climbing mountains.

Baking bread has become

his therapy after losing a

leg in a road accident.

5 Laura, 31, a digital

manager from Kent

Began baking at home in

Gravesend aged eight.

Lives with her husband, a

police community support

officer.

6 Linda, 61, a retirement-

living team leader from

East Sussex Baking

strengths are home-

comfort cooking, including

signature sausage rolls.

7 Makbul, 51, an

accountant from Greater

Manchester Self-taught

baker who honed his skills

watching TV shows, and

drawing inspiration from

celebrity chefs.

8 Dave, 30, a security

guard from Hampshire

Likes to bake while

listening to his favourite

punk bands. Strong on

breads — pretzels,

brioche rolls and

baguettes.

9 Loriea, 27, a diagnostic

radiographer from

Durham From Jamaica,

she uses baking to

celebrate her Caribbean

roots. Moved to the UK

when she was 15.

10 Lottie, 31, a pantomime

producer from West

Sussex Says that flour is in

MARK BOURDILLON/LOVE PRODUCTIONS

B

ags of flour were

cleaned with

ultraviolet light,

contestants didn’t

see their families for

weeks and Prue Leith

“bubbled” with her dogs

(Matthew Moore

writes). The Great

British Bake Off created

a “biosphere” to ensure

that this year’s series

could go ahead despite

the pandemic.

Contestants include a

pantomime producer, a

radiographer and an

adventurer who found

solace in baking after

losing a leg. They were

only able to show off

their skills after Channel

4 approved measures to

ensure social distancing.

The contest was

switched from a tent in

the grounds of Welford

Park, Berkshire, to

Down Hall Hotel on the

Essex-Hertfordshire

border with the bakers,

stars and crew spending

six weeks on site. Letty

Kavanagh, an executive

producer, told Radio

Times: “Nothing entered

the bubble without

going through the hands

of cleaners.”

Supermarkets ran

short of flour in spring,

making it difficult for

contestants to practise

at home, but producers

got it from restaurants

and corner shops.

The comedian Matt

Lucas, who has replaced

Sandi Toksvig as

Fielding’s co-presenter,

enjoyed “pootling

about” the hotel estate

on a golf buggy.

Filming stopped when

someone developed

Covid-19 symptoms but

a test proved negative.

The series starts at 8pm

next Tuesday.

2

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3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Matt Lucas has joined the

judges Paul Hollywood

and Prue Leith, and Noel

Fielding, his co-presenter

her blood because her

Lancastrian great-

grandmother was a

fervent cake-baker.

11 Mark, 32, a project

manager from Liverpool

Originally from Northern

Ireland, he fell in love

with baking at a pie

shop in Edinburgh as a

student.

12 Peter, 20, a student

from Edinburgh He

studies accounting and

finance at university but

his passion is badminton

— he has represented his

county in the sport.