There’s nothing healthier than fresh vegetables from the market — until they start to wilt and spoil. Fruits and vegetables are at their most nutritious during their peak ripeness, but afterwards their nutritional value slowly begins to drop.

This is where frozen veggies, surprisingly, can come in handy. Despite being chopped up into little chunks that give off the impression of fake veggies, making you question their health value, frozen vegetables are just as healthy as regular veggies, a new video explains.

That’s because no important nutrients or vitamins are taken out of the vegetables during the blanching and freezing process; instead, they’re mostly preserved. As a result, frozen veggies are able to maintain their peak ripeness for much longer than fresh veggies. Compared to fresh vegetables that have to be transported across hundreds of miles to get to their destination, frozen vegetables are frozen right after harvest and are able to stay “fresh” for longer.

Frozen vegetables can also be cheaper and are easier to prepare than regular vegetables. Sick of chopping, washing, and prepping all that broccoli and cauliflower? Frozen bags are conveniently chopped and quick to prepare when you don’t have a lot of time in the kitchen, and want a fast but nutritious meal.

That being said, always check the nutritional value on the frozen vegetables bags to ensure no preservatives or salt are added. Most frozen vegetables are going to be straight up pure veggies, but it’s always better to be safe.