Canned foods are often overlooked as a convenient source of nutrition. You may be surprised to learn that many canned foods are bursting with nutrients and are an easy way to add vitamins and minerals to your diet, the process of canning preserves foods and nutrients and in some cases increases the bioavailability of nutrients.
The majority of canned products are canned immediately or very soon after harvest, when nutrient concentrations and eating quality are at their highest. This ensures that many of the vitamins and minerals are retained in the can. Canning is a useful way to preserve vitamins, as concentrations of some vitamins can decrease by as much as 50% within the first 7 days after harvest when stored at ambient temperatures. Levels of some heat sensitive vitamins such as vitamin C are reduced through canning although concentrations remain constant throughout the shelf life of the product. While a 100g fresh peach has 31mg of vitamin C, 100g of canned peach slices has only 6mg. But super nutrients such as beta-carotene, the orange pigment in carrots, and lycopene, the red pigment in tomatoes, becomes easier for your body to absorb through the heating process, making canned versions a better source of nutrients than fresh versions eaten raw.
Because canned foods already are cooked, they require only minimal further cooking time. Research studies in scientific journals show that once processed, little additional loss of nutrients occurs in subsequent cooking steps. Therefore, using canned foods in casseroles, soups and stews saves preparation and cooking time, as well as energy, while providing the same nutritional value as fresh foods.
Canned fish such as mackerel, sardines and pilchards are also good for you. Canning helps to soften the bones making them edible, while fresh fish is usually cleaned and sold without the bones, thus depriving you of a great source of bone-building calcium. Tuna canned in brine or spring water, unlike fresh tuna is low in fat as the canning process removes fat and is therefore useful for those watching their calorie or fat intake. However, it doesn’t provide long chain omega-3 fatty acids.
Not all canned foods are all high in salt, fat or sugar either. Many canned products are nowadays preserved in water rather than brine or fruit juice rather than syrup.
Don’t buy cans which are dented or rusted. Also make sure that you are buying new stock. Check if the labels are not torn and the cans are not dusty. Store in a cool and dry place. Left overs should be refrigerated in a non mettalic container to retain the taste and flavor. Use the leftovers within 2-3 days, after that discard it. Don’t buy cans that bulge out at the top or bottom.
Enjoy this easy and fast way to cook, follow all the steps of instruction to store and cook the food. Eat healthy, stay healthy!
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