The Price of Vegetables Rose in July — Are Frozen Vegetables a Healthful Alternative?

Over the course of the last several years, shoppers have observed inflated prices on grocery staples, making it extremely difficult for the average family to get by. In July 2025, for example, a nearly-21% tariff was enforced on tomatoes imported from Mexico, attesting to the soaring prices of vegetables that month.

Have you noticed that the prices of your favorite vegetables in the grocery store have risen precipitously, even amid countless produce recalls that could have deadly consequences?

There is no doubt that in 2025, the price of fresh vegetables is exorbitant, and families are feeling the excruciating consequences in their collective wallets. If families in need of vegetables are seeking a healthful alternative, could frozen vegetables be a viable option?

Below, we examine the prices of fresh vegetables rising in the month of July, and why that may be. As well, we explore whether or not frozen vegetables are safe for families to consume as readily as fresh vegetables.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the prices of "fresh and dry vegetables" rose an astounding 38.9% from June to July 2025, which bucked the trend of the two preceding month-to-month periods in which the prices of those goods were in decline.

Underscoring just how incomprehensibly scary that figure is, the price of "fresh fruits and melons" during the same one-month period declined by nearly 6%.

"The nearly 40% increase is the biggest one-month move for a summer month in almost a century, according to NBC senior business correspondent Christine Romans," per TODAY. "There are multiple factors affecting the rising costs of domestic vegetables. For starters, farmers have to contend with unpredictable weather conditions, including drought, which can lead to supply issues."

Furthermore, according to TODAY, "Ongoing labor shortages can also contribute to price hikes. In recent months, President Donald Trump’s efforts to deport undocumented people across the country have left many farm workers nervous to show up to work," which spells an evil, depressing situation with a cascading chain of unfortunate consequences.

Grocery stores are being hit with a nearly 40% increase in the cost of fresh vegetables, and that is sadly being passed along to the consumer.

As Mitchell Moffit of the YouTube channel AsapSCIENCE explains in the video above, fresh produce is picked before it ripens, and during the processing and transport processes, the food loses a significant amount of its nutritional value.

"Frozen foods, on the other hand, are picked when they're ripe and frozen immediately. While the quick freeze process does affect some vitamin content, it essentially freezes, or locks, most of the nutrients in place."

According to a medically reviewed article on the website GoodRX, "The nutritional differences between fresh and frozen vegetables are so minor that they’re unlikely to affect your health...Frozen vegetables in their natural form — without additives — can be as healthy as fresh vegetables. Most frozen vegetables are frozen quickly after harvesting. This retains most of their nutrients."