People who consume more canned foods tend to have a higher intake of fruits, vegetables, and nutrients than those who consume fewer canned fruits and vegetables.
- Best flavor and nutrient quality are ensured:
- Canned foods can be just as nutritious as fresh and frozen foods because canning preserves many nutrients.
- The process of canning does not change the number of minerals, fat-soluble vitamins, protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
- The heating process may increase the antioxidant content. Canning increases the amount of lycopene in tomatoes.
- A convenient and affordable way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into the diet:
- Canned foods are helpful for people who live in remote areas where fresh foods are not readily available.
- The process of canning ensures a long shelf life of at least one to five years.
- This may prevent individuals from throwing away fresh produce due to spoilage, thus helping reduce food wastage.
- In addition, using canned foods can cut down on meal preparation time, while still offering nutritional value and a delicious taste.
- Help you make wise choices:
- When purchasing canned fruit, choose varieties that are canned in water, 100 percent juice, or in their juices to avoid consumption of added sugar.
- Choose canned vegetables without added salts, labeled “no salt added” or “low sodium. Draining and rinsing canned beans and vegetables can reduce the sodium content.
- May increase fiber intake:
- Fiber is essential for digestive health, and studies have even linked increased intake to significant weight loss.
- Studies have reported that canning helps make fiber in certain vegetables, such as beans, more soluble and more useful to the human body, which can have a positive effect on health.
- Has a similar nutritional value when compared with fresh and frozen:
- Because they are harvested and canned at the peak of ripeness, canning can preserve the same flavor and nutrients as if eaten fresh or frozen.
- Canned foods are handy to have when you do not have time to go to the store and buy fresh foods without compromising nutrition.
- Cans are lightweight, durable, and easy to store, carry and dispose of:
- Because of all these properties, these cans can protect food from exposure to oxygen and against excessive exposure to light.