A Nutritionist’s Guide To Navigating Vegetable Shortages

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

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.

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. 

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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. 

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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.

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