A Nutritionist’s Guide To Navigating Vegetable Shortages

By Ellie Smith

2 years ago

Now is the time to get to know your freezer


Vegetable shortages are hitting supermarkets nationwide, but fear not, we’re here with some expert tips for ensuring you still get your five a day. We asked nutritionist Kim Pearson for her favourite ways to make the most of frozen vegetables.

‘Frozen vegetables have come a long way since those bags of peas, sweetcorn and diced carrot served up at school dinners. Grilled Mediterranean vegetable mixes, heart stew bases and pre-chopped onions and garlic make cooking-from-frozen tasty and convenient. 

‘Here are five of my favourite ways to embrace frozen vegetables during the shortages.’

5 Simple, Healthy Alternatives to Fresh Vegetables

Frozen vegetables

Swap: Fresh greens 

For: Picard’s frozen green vegetable mix, ocado.com

How to eat it: Cook according to the instructions on the packet. Once cooked, mix in one tablespoon of Seggiano pesto per portion of veg. Works well alongside oven baked fish.

Vegetable stew

Swap: Root vegetables 

For: Sainsbury’s frozen vegetable stew pack, sainsburys.co.uk

How to eat it: A great addition to a hearty winter venison sausage and lentil stew. Or any other type of stew you fancy, for that matter. 

Ratatouille

Getty Images

Swap: Roasted Mediterranean vegetables

For: Waitrose frozen grilled vegetables, waitrose.com

How to eat it: Oven cook from frozen or cook in a pan with some tinned tomatoes for a speedy, DIY ratatouille. 

Tinned tomatoes

Getty Images

Swap: Fresh tomatoes

For: Suma organic chopped tomatoes with basil for tinned tomatoes with a tasty twist, ethicalsuperstore.com

How to eat it: Make a tomato and basil soup by frying frozen chopped onions and garlic in olive oil over a moderate heat. Once they start to turn translucent, add a cup of Kallo garlic and mixed herbs stock and a tin of Suma chopped tomatoes and basil. Bring to a simmer and then cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally with the lid off, until you reach a desired consistency. Add sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

Swap: Fresh mushrooms 

For: Picard Organic Mushoom Poelee, ocado.com

How to eat it: Perfect for a warming pearl barley mushroom risotto.

Kim Pearson takes a more in depth look at practical ways to outsmart the current vegetable shortages here: kim-pearson.com

Featured image: Getty Images