Do you suffer from constipation, but the lack of time prevents you from cooking balanced meals? Good news: frozen foods can prove to be precious allies to improve your intestinal transit. Provided, of course, to make the right choices and to know how to prepare them. The point with Anaïs Soize, dietician.
Frozen, a practical and effective solution
Long perceived as less quality products, frozen – especially fruits, vegetables and legumes – nevertheless keep the majority of their fibers and micronutrients, provided that the cold chain is scrupulously respecting.
To preserve all their benefits, a slow defrost in the refrigerator is recommended. This process keeps the vegetable cells intact, and therefore guarantee the effectiveness of fibers in the colon.
Dietary fibers, essential to relaunch transit
When it comes to fighting constipation, soluble fibers are essential. “”It is necessary to aim between 25 and 30 grams of fiber per day, and do not neglect a good hydration“Recalls Anaïs Soize.
Certain categories of food is full of it, and frozen versions are often particularly practical:
- Legumes : “White beans, which have up to 15 % fiber, red beans, lenses, broken peas, chickpeas … All these foods are often already pre -stressed, which represents a real time saving to integrate them into a hot dish or a salad“Underlines the specialist.
- Peas : “Rich in fiber and prebiotics, they feed the intestinal flora without being too sweet.“”
- Green vegetables : Spinach, chard, watercress, flat beans, or onions are to be preferred. “”But the latter are to be avoided if the intestine is very sensitive, as they easily ferment“, warns Anaïs Soize.
Fruits rich in fiber, even in frozen version
Some frozen fruits are also distinguished by their richness in fiber and their effectiveness against constipation:
- The fruit of passion : “It is a nutritional bomb, with 10.5 g of fibers per 100 g“Underlines the dietician.
- Red and black fruits : Raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, cherries … “They count up to 6 g of fibers per 100 g. Beware, however, of the natural laxative effect reinforced by the sorbitol contained in the cherry“She says.
- The kiwi :: “Especially consumed on an empty stomach in the morning, two kiwis will be particularly effective against constipation, according to clinical studies.”
- Lawyer : “It is rich in fiber and very practical in frozen version, because it does not blacken and keeps much longer.“”
Frozen: the time saving asset and health
Beyond their nutritional wealth, frozen products have a significant advantage: their ease of use.
“”They are often raw and already prepared food, easy to cook, without needing soaking or tedious cutting“, Underlines Anaïs Soize. It cites in particular frozen wholemeal bread. Not only does it contain about 7 % of fibers, but freezing partially modifies starch, transforming it into resistant starch, which acts as a fiber by promoting transit and regulating blood sugar.
Latest tips for a top transit
To further strengthen fiber intake, remember to enrich your dishes with a spoon of flax seeds or wheat sound. “”The important thing, concludes Anaïs Soize, is to vary the contributions, favor sweet fibers and accompany them with good hydration. “