Nowadays, more and more delicious foods are being "frozen quickly." In addition to traditional frozen dumplings and wontons, meatballs, chicken chunks, and even frozen shrimp from their places of origin have become popular choices in supermarkets. Due to their convenience and time-saving nature, this kind of "convenience food" is rapidly capturing people's attention and appearing on consumers' dining tables.
In a general sense, frozen food refers to food that completes the freezing process in about 15 minutes in a very cold environment, allowing it to be stored, transported, and preserved for long periods at -18°C or lower temperatures. It typically includes aquatic products (such as frozen shrimp, fish, and shrimp meat), fresh meats (such as pork and chicken), hot pot items (such as fish dumplings, fish balls, and tribute balls), staple foods (such as tangyuan, dumplings, and buns), breaded and fried items (such as chicken chunks, croquettes, and squid rings), and vegetable items (such as peas and carrots).
When it comes to frozen food, people always have concerns about it not being fresh or nutritious. In fact, from a nutritional perspective, "quick-freezing" can maximize the preservation of the original freshness, color, flavor, and nutritional content of natural foods.
Especially for busy people, it is better to choose frozen food instead of buying all the fresh meat and vegetables needed for a week and storing them in the refrigerator. This is because a home freezer takes at least several hours to freeze food, while true frozen food achieves its freezing effect in 15-30 minutes. This "quick-freezing" process keeps the molecular structure of the food basically unchanged, unlike "slow-freezing," which can lead to a loss of nutrients.
However, not all frozen foods are nutritious. Stuffed and fried frozen foods share a common flaw: high fat content. Secondly, although some tribute balls and fish balls may not be as delicious as fresh fish and meat, they taste particularly savory. This is because a significant amount of MSG and high-flavor seasonings are added to frozen foods.
Data shows that the salt content in frozen foods like fish balls is 4-5 times that of fresh pork belly, and the sodium content is very high, which is obviously harmful to patients with hypertension, heart disease, and kidney disease. Moreover, to maintain the minimum palatability of meat products, their fat content cannot be lower than 20%. The tenderness, juiciness, and aroma of tribute balls and fish balls are all achieved at the cost of high fat. Studies have shown that eating 6 fish balls is equivalent to the calories of a bowl of rice. (Source: Science and Technology Daily)