Dietitian Susie Burrell breaks down the products she would happily buy frozen - and what she prefers fresh

It is a commonly held belief that when it comes to produce, fresh is always best.

Indeed, freshly harvested fruit and veggies are rich sources of essential nutrients but the reality is that unless you are growing your own, the 'fresh' foods we have access to are not always as fresh as we may be led to believe.

For this reason, there is no reason to feel guilty about purchasing frozen food. In fact, opting for a mix of fresh and frozen can strike a balance between optimal nutrition and budget-friendly options.

The foods I buy frozen

Green vegetables

Not only are leafy greens subject to large seasonal price fluctuations, but it may come as a surprise to hear that, from a nutrition standpoint, frozen vegetables can actually be a better choice.

As frozen veggies are snap-frozen at time of harvest, key nutrients including Vitamins B, C and K tend to be higher than those found in fresh veggies that were harvested some time ago.

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For this reason, keeping a supply of frozen spinach, kale and broccoli on hand means you always have a supply of super greens to add to meals and snacks to increase your daily intake of these superfoods.

Potatoes

There is a growing range of frozen potato options that can easily be added to a wide range of meals and while they may appear processed, closer inspection will reveal there are a number of options with upwards of 90 per cent potato.

The key is to seek out options that are made with a few simple ingredients such as potato, oil and salt – and skip the extra additives used to make beer battered varieties.

Pizza

This is another option that may surprise you.

While there are few things as good as a freshly-made pizza with plenty of fresh ingredients, when you consider a standard home-delivered pizza costs upwards of $30, frozen does sound like a good option.

You can find options for as little as $7 with 20 per cent spinach, which can make for a healthy and budget-friendly option.

The key is to seek out varieties that have a thin base and vegetarian varieties tend to be better nutritionally as do options with fewer additives and a shorter ingredient list.

Dumplings

There is a wide range of frozen dumplings in the freezer section.

Not only are they relatively healthy, made with a base of protein and vegetables, but the supermarket price of frozen dumplings is something you could not match even if you made them at home.

Team them with veggie rice and edamame for a balanced meal and seek out varieties that do not contain added MSG or food additive 621 when you can.

The foods I prefer fresh

Berries

While you can find organic frozen berries, recent concerns about the pesticides used to grow berries means we ideally need to wash our berries before consumption.

This means when berries are in season, you are better off investing in them fresh – and washing them – rather than using frozen varieties, which are impossible to wash whilst maintaining the structure of the fruit.

Seafood

While there is a large and growing range of fish and seafood options in the freezer section, closer inspection will reveal that most options are made using imported seafood.

Australian seafood farming standards are incredibly high and buying fresh Aussie produce ensures the quality of the produce and also supports Australian industries.

Chicken

Like seafood, there are plenty of frozen chicken options, but very few of these contain a high percentage of chicken, with some crumbed varieties offering as little as 30 per cent per serve.

For this reason, buying chicken fresh and then marinating or crumbing it yourself is a much better option nutritionally than the majority of pre-made options.

Sweet potato

While there are plenty of frozen potato options that are strong nutritionally, there are far less varieties of sweet potato that do not contain extra added fats and flavours.

For this reason, making your own sweet potato chips is generally a healthier option.

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