Frozen fruits and vegetables highlighted as options for healthy eating; frozen meals support call for portion control
ARLINGTON, VA – The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) confirm and reinforce that frozen foods play an important role in helping families enjoy whole food nutrition. The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) welcomes the new DGAs and recognizes the call for Americans to eat whole, minimally processed and nutrient-dense foods. Frozen foods are a practical option that are explicitly included in DGA recommendations and help households around the country enjoy year-round access to quality produce, grains and proteins, as well as portioned meals made with real food ingredients.
“The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans represents an important step as the Trump administration enacts Make America Healthy Again priorities. It is clear that frozen foods offer critical nutrition solutions that align with MAHA’s vision for a healthier America, and AFFI thanks the administration for specifically recognizing frozen fruits and vegetables,” said AFFI president and CEO Alison Bodor. ”Frozen foods make it achievable for busy families to enjoy a tasty meal made from whole, minimally processed foods.
Aligned With Administration Priorities
As the federal government continues to reform nutrition programs and guidelines, frozen foods offer scalable solutions that align with the Make America Healthy Again Commission’s priorities.
Frozen foods use cold temperature to rapidly preserve foods and maintain nutritional integrity comparable to fresh and homemade equivalents. Frozen fruits and vegetables are harvested and frozen at peak ripeness, locking in nutrients that might otherwise degrade during transport and storage. Studies show that frozen fruits and vegetables often have the same or better nutrition when compared to fresh produce. An analysis of top-selling frozen meals and side dishes reveals they are remarkably comparable in nutrition to homemade equivalents, cost about the same per serving, and save families up to 35 minutes in prep and cooking time.
Additionally, pre-portioned frozen meals made with whole food ingredients help consumers moderate their energy consumption and manage healthier eating habits. Many frozen meals are intentionally designed as single-serving options that provide a balanced combination of calories, macronutrients and food groups. A 2023 survey of over 1,000 individuals, conducted by Georgetown University, found that half of the respondents choose single-serve frozen meals as a convenient option for healthier eating, particularly due to the portion control they offer.
Supporting Federal Nutrition Programs
Earlier this year, AFFI submitted 10 policy recommendations to the Make America Healthy Again Commission, outlining ways frozen foods support healthy lifestyles and should be integrated into MAHA priorities. This includes asking the Trump administration to ensure frozen foods are included in federal nutrition programs along with fresh foods.
Frozen foods play a critical role in nutrition programs such as school lunches, SNAP, WIC and military meals. For example, households that participate in SNAP have 24 percent higher odds of purchasing frozen vegetables, and 80 percent of SNAP-eligible households surveyed agreed that frozen fruits and vegetables make it easier to eat more produce, prevent food waste and save money. Ultimately, research shows that people who eat frozen fruits and vegetables eat more total fruits and vegetables than others.
Freezing also prevents spoilage and reduces food waste, helping Americans more efficiently stretch their food dollar further. A 2023 critical review conducted by Cornell University found that, in general, frozen food is wasted less frequently than its fresh counterparts at retail stores and in households.
Looking Ahead
“AFFI urges the Trump administration to further take advantage of the benefits of frozen foods as they advance nutrition priorities guided by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” added Bodor. “Frozen foods provide commonsense solutions for today’s consumer.”
For more information about how frozen foods support the administration’s nutrition priorities, visit www.frozenadvantage.org.
