We buy quite a lot of frozen vegetables from Bofrost or the supermarket because it's more convenient and doesn't go bad as quickly. But I wonder if the nutrients really stay intact or if I should rather go for fresh ones.
Don't stress yourself out thinking that frozen vegetables could be inferior - that's just not true. At my place, most stuff comes from the freezer, and honestly, way less spoils compared to before when I used to try to use up fresh stuff before it goes bad. What I'm curious about though: do you pay attention to how long the fresh vegetables have already been sitting on the supermarket shelves when you shop, or is that pretty much a non-issue for you as long as it still looks good?
Freezing actually preserves nutrients pretty well because vegetables are flash-frozen right after harvesting - that keeps vitamins and minerals better intact than fresh vegetables do, which lose nutrients sitting around in the supermarket or at your place for days. Fresh vegetables are obviously still good, but if you're being honest, frozen vegetables are in most cases not any less healthy and often even more practical for everyday use. The only thing you should watch out for is the ingredient lists - some varieties have salt or other additives, but if you choose well, that's really not a problem.
when you store fresh vegetables, you often lose more nutrients than with frozen stuff - the longer it sits in the fridge, the more vitamins break down, especially vitamin c. your bofrost vegetables are honestly the better choice, as long as you don't keep them in the freezer forever.
I buy a mix of both on purpose when I'm shopping and noticed that frozen vegetables actually work better for my morning routine - when I need to prepare something quick after running, it's just more practical and just as nutrient-rich. One thing I picked up: fresh vegetables lose the most when they sit in the fridge for days and dry out. If you go with frozen stuff, you don't have that problem in the first place. The thing is, freezing really does a great job of locking in the vitamins and minerals - so it matters less how old the package is as long as it's been stored at -18°C or colder.
From my perspective, the thing is pretty straightforward: frozen vegetables are actually often more nutrient-dense than the fresh stuff sitting around in the supermarket. The reason is simple - it gets shock-frozen immediately after harvest, while fresh vegetables sometimes get transported for days and then sit on the shelf before you buy them. The vitamins get lost during that time, especially the delicate vitamin C, pretty quickly.
Where I'd issue an important warning though: check the ingredient lists on your Bofrost or supermarket vegetables carefully. Some frozen products have hidden additives, salt, or sugar mixed in - you don't always catch that at first glance. If you just grab "frozen vegetables" at checkout without checking whether sodium or other stuff has been added, that can tip the scales. Go for products that really only contain the vegetable itself, without the extra bells and whistles.
Otherwise you can feel confident working with frozen vegetables. It saves you time, the shelf life is better, and nutrition-wise you're not doing anything wrong with it - sometimes even better than with the supposedly fresh stuff from the other side of the world.
The catch is more on you: How often does your fresh vegetables sit around before you process them? Frozen vegetables have a clear advantage there because they're frozen right after harvest and the nutrients are basically preserved - fresh vegetables, on the other hand, lose vitamins every day the longer they sit in the fridge. If you're being honest with yourself and know that broccoli or spinach tends to sit around at your place for a week: then frozen vegetables are the better choice, period.
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