The best canned foods for healthy meals

If you choose well, these pantry staples can help you create quick, nutritious and delicious dishes.

When you think of canned food, childhood images of unappetizing mushy vegetables, peaches in syrup or watery spaghetti may come to mind. But canned food does not have to be synonymous with bad-tasting and poor-quality food. "Canned food is an easy and affordable way to create any number of tasty and nutritious meals"" says Celine Beitchman, director of nutrition at the New York City Institute of Culinary Education.

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Can't you always go to the supermarket? Don't you have great fresh produce options all year round? Can't afford to eat fresh fish every week? Having canned food on hand, such as beans, fish, vegetables and fruit, can solve all such problems. And by the way, products that are preserved in bags (tuna, salmon, chicken) and in cartons (beans and soups) count as canned.

Nutritional information of canned food

The perception that nothing nutritious can come out of a can is still valid. But it is not accurate. In fact, there is evidence that including canned foods in the diet can help to eat healthier. A 2015 study published in the journal Nutrients found that people who ate six or more canned foods a week had a higher intake of 17 essential nutrients, including potassium, calcium and fiber (nutrients that older adults don't usually get enough of), than those who regularly consumed canned foods less than twice a week.

Canned agricultural products are usually picked and preserved at their optimum ripening point and canned in a matter of hours. That means fruits and vegetables in the can aisles may technically be "fresher" than those in the produce section.

"Fresh agricultural products can lose some of their nutritional benefits the moment we buy them at the store," says Elizabeth DeRobertis, director of the Nutrition Center at Scarsdale Medical Group/White Plains Hospital. "Your food can travel thousands of kilometers and have been picked up a week before you buy it."

The process of heating and canning slightly decreases the amount of water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins of group B and vitamin C. But in the case of all minerals and other vitamins, sealing food in an airtight can helps to preserve it, which means that its nutrient content can remain the same for the life of the can. "Canned foods can sometimes have even more nutrients than their fresh versions"" says DeRobertis. Buy canned tomatoes. "The canning process increases the levels of the antioxidant lycopene," he says. "One cup of fresh tomatoes has 4,630 micrograms of lycopene, but once canned that amount increases to 6,100 micrograms."

Other antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, are also enhanced by the canning process. This means that vegetables such as carrots and pumpkins have greater antioxidant power when they come from a can.

Warnings about canned food

However, not all canned foods are the same nutritionally. "The healthiest canned foods are the ones with the fewest ingredients," says Whitney Linsenmeyer, an assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University in Missouri and a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. As with any packaged food, it is important to read the labels before buying.

"The most important thing to keep in mind with canned foods is sodium," says DeRobertis. "Some canned soups can contain more than 1,000 mg in a single serving." Look for the legends "reduced sodium" or "less sodium" on the label, which means that the food has at least 25% less sodium than the regular version. "Low sodium" foods have 140 mg or less per serving.

Another option is to drain and rinse canned food before use. A test conducted by Cook's Illustrated (published by America's Test Kitchen) found that, in the case of canned legumes, draining and rinsing them reduced their sodium by 20% to 27% compared to the sodium levels of beans in liquid.

In the case of canned fruit, added sugars can be a problem. Fruit in light or heavy syrup usually contains high fructose corn syrup or other types of added sugars, and can contain up to 14 grams per serving. Instead, look for fruit that is packed in 100% fruit juice.

Canned food saves time and money

It's hard to beat cans when it comes to convenience, shelf life, price and accessibility. "Even small grocery and convenience stores usually have canned staples, such as tuna and beans, says Linsenmeyer. "The convenience of canned food extends to meal preparation as well. Most of them are already cut into pieces and ready to eat."

Canned food can often be less expensive than the same food in fresh form. And one of the best ways to save money is by helping you avoid food waste, especially if you cook only for one or two people. "Once opened, most canned foods keep well in the refrigerator for up to three to five days," says Linsenmeyer. (Put the leftovers in a container with a lid.) Unopened cans in the pantry remain safe to eat for years, even indefinitely, according to the USDA. The date that appears on the bottom of a can is its expiration or best before date. It refers to the time when the food will taste better, but it will not be unsafe to eat it after that date. A damaged can is another story. "If the can has any bulging or damage to the seal, throw it away," says Linsenmeyer. "It could harbor the food bacteria that causes botulism."

Ingenious uses of canned food

Eating food from a can is as delicious as it is simple. "Think of the cans in your pantry as if they were ingredients"" says Beitchman (who, as a chef, admits to having several). Here, she shares her favorite tricks for "homemade using a can" meals.

Canned beans: "I add them to anything I want to add some protein to"" Beitchman says. He adds canned beans to soups (even pre-cooked versions) and salads; he crushes and spreads them in quesadillas, or purees them in a sauce. You can also place chickpeas (or any other type of bean) on a baking sheet, mix them with olive oil and spices and bake them until crispy. "They make a great crunchy snack or can be used instead of the croutons in a salad"" says Beitchman.

Canned fruit: Of course, you can add it to plain yogurt or vanilla ice cream, but it also has other uses. Try canned peaches (drain the juice) mixed with canned chili peppers, a little onion, salt and lemon juice for a peach sauce as a dressing for grilled salmon.

Canned fish or chicken: Mix tuna, salmon or chicken with some cooked potatoes, vegetables (such as grated carrots), a lightly beaten egg, breadcrumbs and seasonings, then form hamburger pancakes and brown them. "With one can of fish or chicken you can make up to four burgers"" says Beitchman. "Serve them over a salad or on a bun like a hamburger."

Canned sardines are also a good option. These small fish are powerful in nutritional terms, and if you buy sardines packaged without skin and bones, Beitchman promises that they will not taste too strong fishy. He serves them on a toasted wholemeal baguette, with a drizzle of olive oil, arugula, capers or chopped green olives and a squeeze of lemon.

Canned vegetables: The biggest complaint about canned vegetables is that their texture can be watery or mushy. To avoid this, Beitchman recommends passing them through a colander and then spreading them out and patting them dry. Then they are quickly sautéed in a hot frying pan with a little olive oil and seasonings. She also suggests mixing them (without cooking them) into a simple batter to make tasty pancakes for dinner, or adding them to eggs to make a vegetable omelet. Or, combine a can of corn, a can of black beans and a can of diced tomatoes with fresh or dried basil, a little salt and pepper, and oil and vinegar for a side dish or to toss in a salad.

Canned tomatoes: Use canned whole and peeled tomatoes to make a quick soup by pureeing them with a little liquid cream or coconut milk and a curry spice mixture.