Are Canned Or Frozen Products Better For Me?

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Healthy eating is important to prevent non-communicable diseases. Unfortunately, buying healthy food is often seen as a luxury, as fresh products, fruits high in antioxidants, foods that are quality protein sources, such as lean beef and seafood, can be expensive.

There is a myth that fruits and vegetables are preserved by canning and freezing, are not as healthy as fresh organic products.

Many people are not aware of the exceptional fresh produce purchased on organic markets and quality supermarkets. Cheaper, processed meats and sources of refined starch are often more affordable and used in addition to feed the whole family on a low budget.

But canned or frozen products may be part of a healthy diet, studies show. An analysis by researchers at Michigan State University recently showed that canned and frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious and healthy as fresh ones. These findings are published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.

In fact, this study found that the levels of B vitamins, vitamin E and carotenoids increase in canned tomatoes. As for canned beans and legumes, the fiber becomes more soluble during the canning process than fresh beans.

Canned and frozen products can be stored for much longer than fresh products, which eliminates the waste of food and money. The price of fruits and vegetables out of season will fluctuate throughout the year until the price of frozen products will remain mostly stable. You can also buy in bulk and store these products, which can be cheaper in the long run.

Choose wisely

People need to include a wide variety of vegetables, including red and orange vegetables, legumes and starchy vegetables in their diet to get the optimal set of nutrients. Make sure you buy different groups of these vegetables. A package of mixed vegetables can contain green beans, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower, which is a wide variety of vegetables to include in your diet.

As for canned fruits and vegetables, you need to think a little more strategically - as some varieties are mixed with syrups and sauces high in sugar and sodium.

The bottom line is that this is often a more budget-friendly option.

Here are some budget-friendly healthy eating tips:

- Rinse canned fruits, vegetables and legumes to reduce sugar and salt content;

- Watch out for low sodium or low salty varieties if you can afford it;

- Use canned tomatoes as a base for sauces;

- Replace starchy, sugar desserts with canned fruit cocktail (squeeze and rinse to eliminate sugar syrup, or buy a variety without added sugar). Serve with low-fat yogurt;

- Canned peaches and pineapples, served with cottage cheese, are delicious and offer fiber, vitamins and protein.