Adding canned and dried fruits are a great way to add more fruit to your diet. Fruits contain essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs. Healthy canned fruit options include tomatoes, pumpkins, and tangerines. Some healthy dried fruits include apricots, prunes, and raisins.
Which Canned Fruit Is Healthiest? Due to calorie count and overall nutrition value, water-packed canned fruit is the healthiest choice. The heavy and light syrups are of little nutritional value other than calories and are very high in sugar.
According to the USDA's Dietary Guidelines, adults should eat at least 2 servings of fruit each day. And canned fruit can absolutely be just as healthy (if not more) than its fresh counterpart.
Reduce sugar and salt content by rinsing canned fruits and vegetables in a strainer. For canned fruits, choose options that are packed in light syrup or 100% juice. For canned vegetables, choose low-sodium or no-salt-added options.
That said, Dr. Surampudi recommends frozen foods over canned. “As nutritionists, we advocate, ideally, for our patients to eat fresh foods, but frozen foods are a good option when it is not possible to go to the store regularly.
The next category of processed foods includes canned foods such as beans, tuna, fruits and vegetables, as well as frozen fruits and vegetables.
Canned fruits and vegetables are flavorful and convenient because they are already peeled, cut, sliced and cooked and require just reheating before use.
At a glance: what counts? 80g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit and vegetables counts as 1 portion of your 5 A Day (but not potatoes and some other starchy foods). For tinned or canned fruit and vegetables, choose those in natural juice or water, with no added sugar or salt.
Drink it straight.
The nutritional information on a label of canned fruit takes the juice into account, so drinking the juice after you polish off the fruit will ensure that you get the full benefit of the canned fruit.
Look for “low sodium” or “no salt added” on the label when buying canned vegetables. For canned fruit, choose the ones canned in 100% juice or water instead of syrup. As always, check the expiration date and look out for sharp dents or dents on the seam of the can.
Is canned tuna fish good for you? Yes, canned tuna is a healthful food rich in protein and contains many vitamins and minerals such as B-Complex vitamins, Vitamins A and D as well as iron, selenium and phosphorus. Tuna also contains healthy omega 3 essential fatty acids DHA and EPA.
Canned Vegetables, Such as Green Beans, Carrots, and Peas
To pack in as many healthy vitamins and minerals as possible, order a case of mixed vegetable cans from Libby's. Inside each can, you'll find peas, carrots, corn, lima beans, and green beans, giving you a well-balanced meal straight from the jar.
“Pineapple is a great source of vitamin C, B vitamins, fiber, and minerals like manganese,” says Julie Andrews, RDN, a chef based in Appleton, Wisconsin. You'll find pineapple offered fresh, frozen, and canned, making it a year-round option for those living in the United States.
A. Diane L. McKay, an assistant professor at Tufts Friedman School, answers: The short answer is yes, provided you adjust the serving size. That is, when fruit is dried, most of the water is removed in the process, which means the final product has less volume and weight than its fresh, canned or frozen form.
When selecting canned fruit, choose options canned in natural juice rather than syrup. Once the can is open, draining and rinsing the contents may help lower the sugar and salt content.
Speaking of science, real scientists found that canned peaches are as loaded with nutrients as fresh peaches. The study found the two options to have comparable levels of vitamin E. And the canned fruit had almost four times more vitamin C and a lot more folate than fresh.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are better for you than canned or frozen because the processing removes all the nutrients. The nutrient content of canned and frozen fruits and vegetables is comparable to fresh and, in some cases, it may be higher than fresh.
Olives. Due to their high salt content, whole olives won't count towards your 5-a-day. The oil they contain is part of the healthy Mediterranean diet, though, and is a good substitute for butter. Just don't treat it as a vegetable.
Everyone should have at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. An adult portion of fruit or vegetables is 80g. The guide below will give you an indication of typical portion sizes for adults. Children should also eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day.
Cooking of Canned Goods
Commercially canned foods can be safely eaten straight from the can as long as the container is intact.
Home-canned fruit must be accompanied in the jar by a canning liquid. The liquid may be pure water, a juice, or a sugar syrup. Whatever liquid you use, it must be heated. Your choice of canning liquid may be influenced by the future intended use of the preserved fruit.
High acid foods such as tomatoes and other fruit will keep their best quality up to 18 months; low acid foods such as meat and vegetables, 2 to 5 years. If cans are in good condition (no dents, swelling, or rust) and have been stored in a cool, clean, dry place they are safe indefinitely.