Soup, fruit, veggies, and even whole chickens! These foods might sound
healthy, right? Be warned – everything changes once you stick them in a can.
Few things are as comforting as a bowl of hot soup. While some versions are as healthy as
they are tasty, many canned soups aren’t. They pose as veggie-packed meals when, in reality,
they're chock-full of preservatives and salt — which is bad news for our heart and kidneys.
Canned soups can hide dangerous amounts of sodium between their apparent liquidy goodness,
so you should keep an eye out for items that contain less than 350 milligrams of sodium.
Fat can also be a concern when we're talking about cream-based canned soups,
like cream of mushroom or corn, as well as bisques and chowders. A good rule of thumb is
to choose soups that contain as few ingredients as possible and at least 5 grams of protein.
An apple a day might keep the doctor away, but it's safe to say that not all apples
come in the same packaging. The first thing to consider is that most fruit is peeled,
sliced, or chopped before being cooked and canned. This means that some components,
like the fiber and antioxidants in the peels, will get lost in the process.
The canning process also reduces the amount of water-soluble vitamin C and
most vitamin B in fruits. At the same time, the presence of carbs
and sugar significantly increases when the fruit is canned with heavy syrup.
According to Nutrition Value, the average can of fruit cocktail in syrup contains 4.8
milligrams of vitamin C and 40 grams of carbohydrates. In contrast, a homemade,
fresh fruit salad has 39 milligrams of vitamin C and 20 grams of carbohydrates.
Similar to fruit, vegetables can also lose some of their nutrients during the
canning process. This is especially true for water-soluble vitamins like vitamin B and C.
When vegetables are packed in brine, they can also lose their phenolic compounds,
which give them their flavor, color, and some of their nutrients.
Brine can have a high sodium content too, as it is made with water and salt. The CDC warns that
consuming too much sodium increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
Bottom line: it's definitely wise to check the label and
look for the canned vegetables with the lowest possible sodium content.
While the corned beef you'll find at the deli counter is made from brisket, its canned
counterpart is often produced using cuts that aren't good enough to be sold on the deli counter.
Like other meats that fall under the processed meats category, corned beef is considered a
potentially carcinogenic food item when consumed in high amounts, increasing the risk for cancer
and heart disease. Not only that, but the presence of rock salt means it usually contains
high amounts of sodium, which could lead to increased blood pressure and heart disease.
A can of spaghetti and meatballs might be a blast from the past, but these pre-cooked
dishes tend to come packed with a ton of unwanted ingredients, many of which are found in the sauce.
"Mamma mia, that's a spicy meatball!"
While a homemade tomato sauce is a great source of nutrients,
such as vitamins K and C, potassium, and antioxidants,
most of these properties will be missing from the pre-made sauce in the canned version.
Instead, canned tomato sauce contains added sugars and sodium,
which, aside from blood pressure and kidney problems, can also cause liquid retention.
Sausages are, by definition, processed meats: they've been transformed through
processes such as salting, curing, or smoking to improve preservation
or improve their flavor. Processed meats have a link to an increased risk of cancer
and diabetes. These health issues can be caused by the presence of chemicals called
nitrates and nitrites, which can be converted into carcinogens once absorbed by our bodies.
With canned sausages, you've also got the two usual culprits to deal with:
sodium and saturated fats. An increased intake of saturated fats can affect your cholesterol levels,
putting you at a higher risk of heart disease. When hot dogs or cocktail sausages are on the
menu, it's better to choose fresh sausages made with few ingredients — or even poultry sausages.
While beans are an excellent source of nutrients and are considered a heart-friendly food,
there are certainly ways to make them unhealthy. Traditionally, refried beans
are mashed pinto beans pan-fried in lard or oil and seasoned with onion, garlic, or peppers.
The problem with canned refried beans is that they contain undesirable amounts of fat and sodium:
on average, 3 grams of fat and up to 750 milligrams of sodium. Following American Heart
Association guidelines, you should aim to consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day.
The number drops even further to 1,500 milligrams a day for adults with high
blood pressure. When shopping for canned refried beans, it's always best to search
for low-sodium options — and try to use them as a side for a healthier dish.
As its name promises, a 50-ounce can of Sweet Sue Chicken Without Giblets literally contains
an entire cooked chicken swimming in broth — and spoiler alert, it does not look like this.
If served hot, this so-called chicken can be heated in the oven with some broth, reserving the
rest to prepare the gravy. The instructions on the can also indicate that the chicken can be served
cold, if you really want to. As mrfoodtastic on TikTok shows, it’s not the best experience…
"Oh, it's… it's jiggling! Oh Lord…"
According to bloggers who have experienced this bizarre canned item, the chicken tends
to disintegrate when brought out of the can and also presents a tinny flavor. Although it's low in
sodium and apparently quite useful for preparing a chicken salad, it's still probably best to go with
regular old shredded chicken for that. Do yourself a favor: Keep away from the canned chicken.
In Mexico and other Latin American countries, tamales have been a beloved specialty consumed
since pre-Hispanic times. These small, steamed cakes are made with corn-based
dough and can contain dozens of different fillings, including meat, fish, cheese,
vegetables, and even fruit and raisins. Seasonings also vary from region to region,
as do wrappings, which can include corn husks and banana leaves.
However, their canned counterparts fail to tell such a rich story,
and they lack seasoning and texture. Hormel tamales, for example, come individually wrapped
in wax paper and are canned in a mild, watery sauce. At 8 grams of fat and 990 milligrams
of sodium per serving, they're not exactly going to hit your nutrition goals, either.
Canned tuna is generally healthy and low-calorie, but not all tuna options are equally good for us.
When shopping for canned tuna, look out for albacore or white tuna, which includes mercury
levels almost three times higher than skipjack tuna. Canned white tuna contains 0.32 parts per
million of mercury, and the FDA recommends that adults only eat it up to three times a month.
While mercury is naturally found in the air, soil, and water,
it may have toxic effects on our lungs, kidneys, and eyes, as well as on the digestive, immune,
and nervous systems. It's especially dangerous for babies in the womb,
so pregnant women should be mindful when consuming canned fish.