Not all canned foods are made equal - some
are delicious, healthy and will save you plenty of time and money,
whereas others lack taste, texture, and will only harm your health. In
our opinion, those are not worth the price, no matter how cheap they may
be. In this article, we’ll explain what things to look out for when
choosing canned foods, and we will also go through several common canned
food varieties, examining their nutrition and culinary quality. Here is
our list of the 7 healthiest and tastiest canned foods you can buy, as
well as 7 of those you should definitely avoid.
The Best Canned Foods
1. Legumes
Legumes, namely beans, chickpeas, peas, and
lentils are some of the best foods to buy canned. Canned legumes don't
have a lower nutritional value than cooked ones, and using them from the
can will actually save you a lot of time in the kitchen. These
protein-packed foods are also incredibly versatile - you can easily add
them to soups, chilies, stews, or you can even mash some chickpeas up to
make homemade hummus.
The only important point to look out in all savory canned goods is their
sodium content, as it can be ridiculously high. Aim for less than 300
mg of sodium per serving. But all in all, canned legumes are a handy
pantry staple.
2. Fish
Canned fish is also an excellent choice,
and you have a large variety to choose from - tuna, salmon, sardines,
anchovies, or sprats are just some of the most obvious options. All of
these fish varieties are high in protein and B vitamins, so they are
guaranteed to become a positive addition to your salad or sandwich.
After all, nothing beats a good tuna sandwich, and canned tuna is the
easiest way to prepare one.
Note: As with legumes, watch out for the sodium content of canned fish.
3. Pureed or Crushed Tomatoes
Pureed or crushed tomatoes are a
no-brainer, and you'll be able to make a vast number of quick meals
using them - a soup, a pasta sauce, a stew, a breakfast shakshouka, you
name it. No dicing, peeling and pureeing needed, neither. You can also
purchase tomato sauce or puree in jars or bottles, there is little
difference in the product itself, but make sure to watch the sodium and
sugar content in these products.
4. Corn
Canned corn is another one of those canned
foods that will diversify your meals, be it a salad, a soup, or a
one-pot of sorts. The preservation process is also not altering the
texture and taste of corn, and it's not reducing the excellent nutrient
profile of this vegetable.
5. Pureed Pumpkin
Prepping pumpkin is always my least
favorite part of cooking, and it doesn't matter if I'm baking a pumpkin
pie or making pumpkin soup. Luckily, pureed pumpkin is available pretty
much at any store, and it can cut down the cooking time by at least an
hour. Do make sure there are no added flavors or sweeteners before
purchasing a can of pumpkin puree, though, since pure pumpkin puree is
the most antioxidant-rich and healthy option.
6. Condiments
If you're looking for an instant taste
infusion to your meal, don't shy away from canned condiments, such as
pickles, artichokes, olives, capers, or water chestnuts. These will work
great as a topping to salads, a snack to serve on the side, an addition
to sandwiches or a topping for the main dish. Capers, for example, make
a deliciously savory topping for fish. Don't be afraid to experiment
with these condiments, but make sure not to eat too much of them either,
as most of these will be quite high in salt.
7. Coconut Cream
Trust us, a can or two of coconut cream
goes a long way in the kitchen. In addition to being an excellent dairy
alternative with an insanely long shelf life and a reasonable price tag,
it's indispensable for making the creamiest, most delicious curries and
sauces to go with rice. You can even whip it up and make delicious
coconut whip cream that works extremely well with practically any
dessert and even in coffee.
If you're watching your fat intake, you might also find it useful to
know that full-fat coconut cream is comparable to light cream in terms
of its fat content, and light coconut cream is the same as skim milk.
The Worst Canned Foods
8. Soup
Canned soups may save you some time, but it
will be at the expense of your own health in the vast majority of
cases. These highly-processed soups are typically full of preservatives,
sweeteners, and many contain one's entire daily allowance of sodium and
more saturated fats than you should have a day, all just in one can of
soup!
Honestly, it's much healthier, not to mention tastier, to add veggies,
canned legumes, and fresh herbs into some chicken or vegetable stock and
prepare your own soup it just 15-20 minutes.
9. Fruits
We all know that canned fruit are not the
tastiest treat one can have, but did you know that these are more often
than not loaded with added sugar as well? The package may state that the
pineapple or peach slices are preserved in their own juices, but the
truth is that most of these contain a lot of sugar.
What's a good alternative? Both frozen, dried and fresh fruit are an
excellent choice to consider, but if you're looking for something to
store long term, frozen or dried (with no sugar added) fruit are
obviously a better choice for you.
10. Some Vegetables
When it comes to certain canned vegetables,
things can get a bit tricky. After the canning process, their taste and
texture may become altered, which can make the meal a bit less
flavorful and nutritious than one would expect. This is especially true
when it comes to asparagus, green beans, and baby carrots.
Although everything boils down to personal preference, we say it's
always nice to know that you have an alternative, namely frozen veggies,
that have a similarly long shelf life, but a better taste and no added
salt.
11. Ready-made Meals
Canned meals, such as canned chili, sloppy
Joe, corned beef and the like, are another dangerous choice. First of
all, let's face it, none of these choices use the freshest and highest
quality meat, but that's not even the biggest problem. These foods are
also sky-high in salt and preservatives, which is exactly why they can
have such a long shelf life.
In addition to that, many of these ready-made meals will also be packed
with saturated fats, which are known to contribute to cardiovascular
issues. Generally speaking, it's just best to leave the canned foods
that contain more than 3 g of saturated fat per serving on the shelf.
12. Processed Meats
Processed meats are bad enough for you on
their own, with things like liquid smoke, high animal fat content, and
countless additives all making them not the best choice health-wise.
Processed meat, such as sausages, ham, and bacon, has even been linked
with several types of cancer, as well as cardiovascular issues.
When these highly-processed animal-derived ingredients are further mixed
with salty brine and preservatives, you can imagine that it doesn't
make them any healthier. Virtually all of these foods contain saturated
fats and salt in excess.
13. Pasta
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Apart from being significantly inferior to
any pasta you can cook up yourself with just some dried pasta, herbs and
a can of crushed tomatoes in terms of its taste, canned pasta is also
horrible for your health. Salt and sugar are in large quantities in
these foods.
While you can control how much salt or sugar you add to a homemade pasta
sauce, you can't do that with these ready-made options, and producers of
these canned pastas add way too much of it in order to compensate for
the lack of taste and texture in these products.
14. Baked Beans
While canned beans in a low-sodium brine
are an excellent high-protein choice, baked beans are less so. This is
because tons of saturated fats, sugar, salt, and other additives, like
the hormone disruptor BPA, are a common find in baked beans.
Generally speaking, baked beans encompass all that is bad about canned
foods in one package, transforming a healthy choice into a long-term
health hazard. Instead of buying baked beans, make your own from canned
beans, tomato sauce and the spices of your choice.
