Fresh and Frozen
Facts about Your Food
We hope you find your meals enjoyable. This is our goal. Each of your meals is designed to be nutritious as well as delicious. In addition, your chosen menu meets state required specifications, and specific dietary guidelines that emphasize variety, balance, and moderation. All of this helps ensure you are enjoying highly nutritious foods. To help us to meet our goal, we incorporate different storage and packaging techniques. Fresh local produce is used when possible. Meals are flash frozen to maintain great taste, nutrition, quality and safety. Minimal salt and no preservatives are added. This helps us continue providing great service to you. Please see the information below to learn more.
Eating healthy includes choosing fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains. When in season, fresh and local fruits and vegetables often are the most tastiest and nutritious foods available. They are good sources of vitamins, minerals, and healthy carbohydrates. Fruits and vegetables are also sources of disease fighting substances called “anti-oxidants,” and natural highly beneficial substances called “phytonutrients.”
Unfortunately, not all produce is in season year round. Frozen vegetables are still a nutritious alternative during non-seasonal times. In fact, since produce is harvested at its nutritional peak and flash frozen very soon after that, the healthy nutrients are preserved longer. Flash freezing allows a longer shelf life without any degradation of nutrients. In fact frozen produce may be more nutritious than some fresh produce that was picked a few days ago and is still sitting around!
Flash frozen foods are advantageous when it comes to the quality and taste of food as well as its safety. Proper storage of food in safe temperature ranges is important to prevent food-borne illness. (Food-borne illness is food poisoning caused by harmful microorganisms and occurs when food is not kept cold well enough or not cooked enough.)
Fortunately, this type of food poisoning can be prevented with proper food handling. Flash freezing foods immediately after preparation is a safe way to prevent harmful microorganisms from causing food-borne illness. The nutritional quality and safety of foods that are frozen are not lost. It is a safe method to extend the shelf life of perishable foods.
Both fresh and frozen foods can be a safe and tasty way to meet your nutrient needs and eat healthy.