[sidebar]FreshOnce fruit is picked, the process of deterioration begins, “including loss of nutritive value and phytochemicals,” Dr. Ferruzzi says. Long trips for fresh fruit mean more nutrient degeneration. FrozenFrozen fruits and veggies are often significantly higher in vitamins and antioxidants than fresh, since they’re picked and chilled at peak ripeness, locking in max nutrient levels. (Seriously;we crunched the nutritional numbers.) DehydratedMany of the nutrients are preserved through freeze-drying. But watch your portions: Even when no sugar is added, gram for gram, these shrunken fruits are higher in the sweet stuff. JuicedWhen juice is pasteurized, heat destroys some nutrients (though 100% juice retains most of its nutrients). Plus, juice can be a calorie bomb and devoid of the fruit’s natural fiber. But there’s an upside: Seeds often slip into the juicing process, adding polyphenols and antioxidants that you’d otherwise spit out. (The same goes for peels—check out these unexpected ways to eat them.)
