Supermarket chain Iceland Ireland has teamed up with nutritional therapist Elsa Jones to launch its new summer range as part of its Power of Frozen campaign.
The Power of Frozen celebrates the best of food from around the world, frozen at the source to lock in nutrients and authentic flavours.
The retailer revealed research carried out by Iceland Ireland which shows that 56% of mums regularly cook food from scratch to freeze it for later, with 47% admitting to doing so for convenience reasons.
Nearly one third revealed they batch cook and freeze to get better value out of the food they buy – to avoid throwing out damaged fruit or vegetables that are no longer usable.
However, 47% of mums who participated in the research did not realise that many foods are more nutritious when frozen, due to preserving immediately and locking in the nutrients at the source.
Iceland has introduced this range of pre-packed healthy frozen meals to make it quicker and easier to cook from frozen - ruling out the need for batch cooking.
Nutritious Frozen Food
“This research doesn’t surprise me,” said Elsa Jones, “that mums are batch cooking and freezing to save time but not fully aware that frozen food can also be really healthy and save them even more time!
“As part of a balanced diet, I have long been an advocate for cooking with and eating frozen foods. While we are all aware of the benefits of eating delicious fresh food, frozen can be just as healthy and can play a big role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
“We still see a lot of waste as Irish shoppers favour fresh every time for certain items such as fruit. So many of us regularly throw out expensive berries and vegetables that haven’t survived the week, yet using frozen berries in a smoothie or juice is a great way to boost your health with anti-oxidants while saving on waste.”
Iceland already had a range of frozen berries, including its Freshly Frozen Fruit Mix and Mango Cubes, for morning snacks, but the chain has no introduced a variety of nutritious options for lunches, such as the Iceland 2 Citrus, Coriander and Peppercorn Tuna Steaks, Frozen Cauliflower Rice and the frozen Avocado Halves.
Ron Metcalfe, Managing Director of Iceland Ireland said “There’s been a lot of debate around frozen food and its nutritional value. Our Power of Frozen campaign is all about highlighting that frozen food doesn’t mean compromising on quality.
“We are dedicated to educating customers on the vast range of healthy frozen foods that are available to feed families across Ireland. The healthy frozen options available in Iceland stores means there is better portion control, less waste and great value for everyone. Those taking on the weekly shops can choose from our impressive range of fresh produce, chilled goods and groceries including products from 40 local suppliers across Ireland.”
The British-based supermarket chain recently announced that its earnings for the first half of this year would be lower than the prior year as legislation to increase staff wages kicks in just as the grocery market slows.
© 2018 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
