Nutritional Value

• Fresh, store-bought vegetables do not always have a higher nutritional value than frozen vegetables. They are often picked before they're ripe, so they can ripen during shipment and while at the store. On the other hand, frozen vegetables are frozen when they are at their peak of nutritional content and ripeness. However, your own homegrown vegetables do not have to be picked before they're ripe because they don't need to be shipped long distances.

Shelf Life

• Frozen vegetables are a clear winner when it comes to shelf-life. Don't eliminate vegetables from the menu just because you may not be able to prepare them soon after you buy them. In that case, opt for frozen but eat them by the date on the package before they lose some of their nutritional value.

Preparation

• Fresh vegetables eaten raw will yield the highest nutritional content. However, when preparing fresh or frozen vegetables, cook by light steaming versus boiling for long time periods to keep from decreasing nutritional value.

Price

• While the perception may be that fresh vegetables are more expensive than frozen, that is only true in some cases. For some vegetables, the frozen varieties are less expensive than fresh. To get fresh vegetables at the lowest price possible, buy locally grown vegetables in season.