With prices climbing higher and higher, how do you balance your need to feed your family the most nutritious food possible with your budget? Canned food is a great way to add extra variety to your family’s diet at reduced cost, but there are some scary stories out there. Today Miami Canners looks at the canned food conundrum, and how healthy it can be for your family.
Are Canned Foods Less Nutritious Than Fresh?
Many people assume that, because canned foods have been processed, they must be less nutritious than fresh or frozen foods. However, the research says otherwise! While there are some vitamins that don’t like heat processing, like the Vitamin B family and Vitamin C, canning is done while the food is still fresh from the field, and modern canning methods preserve many of the best nutrients perfectly well. After all, those same vitamins are affected by any cooking.
There’s even some foods that are more nutritious canned. Both tomatoes (like Miami’s famous canned tomatoes) and corn actually benefit from the high heat treatment, activating certain antioxidants and making them healthier from the can than anywhere else. Add to that the fact you can store them for ages (so take advantage of sales when you see them), and their convenience and cost factor, and you have a tasty, healthy meal for a lot less.
What About BPA?
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a chemical that’s seen a lot of press time lately, mostly in the baby bottle industry. However, there’s worries about it anywhere where plastics are used to further stabilize and store products.
While BPA was once used heavily in the canning industry, most modern and ethical producers no longer use BPA liners in tins, so it’s not a worry that should concern you too much.
What About Preservatives?
Most canned tomato products contain no preservatives. Because the food in the cans is cooked at high temperatures and sterilized in vacuum-sealed steel containers, nutrients are kept in and impurities out. Water, seasoned liquid, or oil is added for flavour and for fill to create a tight vacuum. In addition, citric acid (naturally occurring in tomatoes) is added to preserve flavour and prevent oxidation of sensitive vitamins. Source(s): Susan Brewer. Ph.D. University of Illinois, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition
What About Scare Stories Concerning Deadly Bacteria?
This has been circulating for a long time. Poorly preserved cans, such as from home canning methods, or cans that have been damaged, can be a bacteria concern. However, no ethical and trusted canning company carries these risks, so don’t sweat this one.
Canned foods can be a great shelf-stable and nutritious addition to your family’s diets, so don’t let the scare stories prevent you from feeding your family a fantastic, varied diet that includes canned foods. Miami Canners adheres to only the strongest manufacturing standards, so we can be proud of every can we send into your home- and you can eat like a king even when the budget is tight!