This Is the One Vegetable I Will Never Buy Frozen

It’s in every salad that I make.

Danielle DeAngelis is a journalist and current assistant editor for EatingWell. She previously worked as the 2022-23 fellow for the brand.

Buying frozen vegetables can be more convenient, more affordable and taste just as delicious as fresh. I love adding frozen broccoli to this Creamy Broccoli Pasta or to a homemade soup. Cauliflower rice is also a side dish staple in my household, and I swear by frozen cubed potatoes as a base for a hearty weekend brunch.

But there is one vegetable that I have an exception for, and I love its fresh flavor so much that I would never buy it frozen. There isn't a nutritional difference between the fresh and frozen varieties, but if you're looking for a fresh leafy green to fall in love with, here's my preference.

The dark leafy green that has won over my heart is spinach. It started with this 5-ingredient spinach salad that I'm looking forward to making for lunch every day this fall. I convinced myself that it was the apples and almonds in this salad that I was loving so much, but when I tried replacing the spinach with lettuce one day, the truth was clear. Spinach's mild, refreshing flavor is complemented by its faint crunch, so it's naturally the base of every salad I make.

Spinach also has nutritional benefits as it's packed with vitamins and antioxidants that can help with improving bone health, blood pressure and exercise recovery. Plus, it has anti-inflammatory properties that help with my own chronic inflammation, so it's a win-win.

When I started adding spinach to my regular grocery list, it became a staple ingredient in my lunches. Think veggie wraps, sandwiches and soups for a midday meal that highlights the green. Plus, adding fresh spinach to cheesy pasta is a great way to add brightness to a comforting dish. Our Creamy Spinach Pasta and Baked Spinach & Feta Pasta will be in your dinner rotation as the perfect summer-to-fall mains. Trust me: fresh spinach is the way to go here for better flavor, even if you're cooking it!

So if you're tired of your lettuce salad, consider swapping the lettuce with my favorite fresh veggie, spinach. Recipes like our Spinach-Strawberry Salad with Feta & Walnuts and Apple Spinach Salad with Thyme-Dijon Vinaigrette are salads you'll want to make on repeat.

Up next: I Have Chronic Inflammation & These Are the Easy Anti-Inflammatory Lunches I Make on Repeat