Extremely Nutritious Canned Foods
Did you know that canned foods are extremely nutritious? I love using them in my cooking, as they are so versatile and handy.
The great news is, canned fruit and vegetables also count toward our recommended daily servings from this food group.
Why are canned foods healthy?
During the canning process, they are canned quickly, when their flavour, vitamins and minerals are highest, this canning process preserves the food, and therefore helps to prevent further nutrient loss.
Canned Food UK have produced a leaflet detailing some of the health benefits to be gained from including these foods in our diet. They have listed some interesting facts, which many may not be aware of:
- A 100g serving of canned tomatoes, spinach or apricots will provide almost a quarter of the Recommended Daily Amount (RDA) for vitamin C, providing more than fresh equivalents. Canned gooseberries or blackcurrants provide over half the RDA for vitamin C.
- Canned fruits, vegetables, beans and pulses are great sources of fibre. For example, 3 tablespoons of canned kidney beans provides 6g of fibre, whilst half a can of ratatouille provides 3g.
- Canned pilchards, salmon, mackerel, sardines and kippers are all great sources of omega 3 fatty acids, which play a role in the prevention of heart disease. The omega 3 fatty acid content is comparable to that found in fresh fish.
The website also offers some great recipes. So, why not check out the site, and get started using canned foods as part of your healthy balanced diet. The recipe below has been taken from the Canned Food UK website.
Borlotti bean and tuna salad with pine nuts
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 x 300g can green beans, drained
1 x 420 g can borlotti beans, drained
1 x 200g can tuna in olive oil, drained
60 g (2 oz) pine nuts toasted
1 tablespoons (15 ml) fresh parsley, chopped
1 packet (100 g) of ready-washed watercress
Dressing:
2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon (15 ml) balsamic vinegar
1 small garlic clove, crushed
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) Dijon mustard
Method:
1) Place the green beans, borlotti beans and tuna in a large salad bowl. Combine, roughly breaking up the tuna into large flakes.
2) Stir in the pine nuts and parsley.
3) Place the dressing ingredients in a bottle or screw-topped glass jar and shake until combined.
4) Add half of the dressing to the bean mixture and mix until well combined.
5) Place the watercress in a bowl and toss with the remaining dressing.
6) Spoon the bean salad over the watercress.
Nutritional Analysis:
Calories 311, protein 19g, fat 20g, saturates 2.2g, carbohydrate 16g, fibre 6.7g.
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6 Comments
Armen
06.11.2007
I prefer fresh myself!
Family Nutritionist
06.12.2007
Canned vegetables are better than no vegetables at all. But you do have to watch out for the outrageous amount of salt. It’s bad for the kidneys and for blood pressure.
The USDA recommends no more than 1500 mg of sodium for most adults. A half-cup serving of fresh tomatoes might contain 20 mg of sodium, while a half-cup serving of canned tomatoes might contain anywhere from 20 to 900 mg of sodium. The diced, roasted-garlic flavored tomatoes seem to be the worst.
You can get no-salt-added canned tomatoes in the US, but it’s hard to find other no-salt-added vegetables.
Salt is added to retard microbial growth in preserved foods, but also to make up for flavor lost in the canning process.
Melanie
06.12.2007
Family Nutritionist – thanks for your comments. Of course, I always recommend fresh fruit and vegetables where possible. In previous articles I have pointed out that we need to choose canned veg with ‘no added salt’ or ‘reduced salt,’ and when buying canned fruit, to go for those canned ‘in natural juices.’
The food manufacturers are shocking, though, in the amounts of salt and sugar they add to tinned foods! In the UK there is, however, quite a good selection of vegetables with ‘no added salt,’ which makes for a good alternative now and again.
Family Nutritionist
06.13.2007
I wish there were a few more “no salt added” choices in the US. Sometimes, I need to choose whether to put beans or beets in my pressure cooker (http://familynutritionist.blogspot.com/2007/05/fresh-beets-simply.html) !
More choices in canned beans would be convenient!
Melanie
06.13.2007
It definitely would be! Maybe you could put a request into your local supermarket to stock more ‘no added salt’ choices?? They may not listen, but you never know!
Family Nutritionist
06.14.2007
Oy! I ask, and I ask. They don’t want to make the change. They don’t want to displace any of the products they already carry — not enough demand. Often, no-salt-added canned products are USDA organic, at three times the price!
I guess I need to recruit some more squeaky wheels.
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