Debate: is frozen produce actually cheaper than fresh for meal prep?

I was at an Aldi in Cleveland last weekend and noticed the frozen veggie aisle was almost empty while the fresh stuff was fully stocked. It got me thinking about the whole cost debate. On one hand frozen stuff lasts way longer and you can buy it in bulk without worrying about spoilage. But on the other hand fresh produce goes on sale more often and you can get it from local farms for dirt cheap in season. Which side do you guys lean toward for saving money on meals?

3 comments

3 Comments

williams.sage15d ago

Hang on, are we sure we're looking at the same data? Because I've done the math on my own meal prep a few times and frozen almost always wins for me. A bag of frozen broccoli might be $1.50 and it's already chopped and ready to go, while fresh broccoli can be $2.00 a head and you have to cut it up yourself plus it goes bad in a week if you don't use it. The sales on fresh produce are nice (I get it, I really do) but they're seasonal and you can't always stock up on a big sale without it going bad before you eat it all. Frozen stuff is just more consistent for keeping my weekly grocery bill low without having to plan my meals around what's about to rot.

the_harper15d ago

@williams.sage actually made me rethink everything, I used to be team fresh till I saw their cost breakdown.

avery_jackson11d ago

Fresh broccoli is $2.00 a head and you have to cut it up yourself plus it goes bad in a week" - this is exactly what happened to my friend Sarah last month. She bought a bunch of fresh kale for a salad and then got busy with work, forgot about it for four days, and ended up throwing half of it out because it was all slimy and wilted. She said she spent $18 on fresh produce that week and only used about $8 worth before the rest went bad in her fridge. Now she buys frozen spinach and bell pepper strips from the store and uses them whenever she wants, no pressure to cook everything at once. She told me it feels way less stressful not having to worry about things rotting in the crisper drawer. I think her story pretty much sums up why I stick with frozen for most veggies now too.