February is National Canned Food Month

“Are canned vegetables as good for me as fresh?”

This is a question I get all the time in my private practice counseling, coaching, and educating patients with diabetes.

My answer is “yes”.

Canned vegetables have many benefits.  These include but are not limited to keeping all the same nutrients as fresh veggies while having the convenience of a much longer “shelf life”.

When speaking of canned foods in general, other benefits include:

·         being able to save money by preserving home-grown and harvested foods (including meats) and reducing food waste

·         reducing time in the kitchen by being able to open a canned food and serving with minimal preparation

·         having the ability to keep extra food on hand in the event of an emergency

·         traveling with food the doesn’t need refrigeration

·         being able to donate food to the needy

Canning Tomatoes with Mom

Although there are many benefits of canned foods, the main cautionary item to consider is the amount of sodium in canned foods compared to fresh or frozen.  Solutions for reducing the sodium content of canned foods include purchasing lower sodium options of canned items and rinsing canned foods prior to preparing them.  Because of the sodium content in canned foods, there might be some canned items that may not be healthy options.  In these instances, one may want to choose an alternative.

When it comes to canned fruits, the main consideration is the type of “juice” in which the fruit is preserved.  It is best to choose fruits canned in water or their own juice rather than fruits canned in heavy or even light syrup.  Fruits canned utilizing non-nutritive sweeteners are a healthy alternative for people with diabetes.

When purchasing and storing canned foods, make sure to purchase cans that are not damaged and store them in your pantry in a manner that the old items are used prior to newer items, a method called first in-first out (FIFO) in the world of dietetics.

To learn more about the history of canned foods and to obtain recipes using canned foods, check out the Canned Food Alliance website and enjoy all the benefits of utilizing canned foods.