Best Canned Food Storage Choices
A University food science study confirms many
canned food storage items are packed with nutrition. Yet there has been a
mis-perception, even among health professionals, that canned products don't
stack up nutritionally.
Here we list these nutritional foods that would
make the best canned food choices for your emergency food supply.
On this website, we
highly recommend stocking-up a good variety of "survival food types"
for your food storage list, such as: freeze-dried, dehydrated, garden foods,
and canned foods.
Many people that are
striving to stock-up on emergency preparedness foods cannot afford to buy the
recommended "Commercial Survival Foods" for their food storage needs.
Buckets, and #10 cans of freeze-dried and dehydrated emergency food storage
items may NOT be an option for some people's budget.
We found this study to
be, not only interesting and informative, but also a large plus to those that
would like to “feel better nutritionally” about adding canned food storage
products to their survival foods list. Remember, even if you can only add a few
canned food items at a time... something is ALWAYS better than nothing!
About The Study -
In 1995, the University
of Illinois Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition released a
comparative analysis of a variety of canned, fresh and frozen fruits and
vegetables. This study let a little-known secret out of the can... canned
fruits and vegetables are as nutritious as their fresh and frozen counterparts.
In response to queries
from health professionals and the media, the University of Illinois expanded
and updated this study in 1997. The later study, provides nutritional analyses
of about 35 canned fruits and vegetables, as well as poultry and fish.
Results of this
nutrition study show that, more than ever, dietitians, nutritionists and food
service professionals can feel confident recommending delicious, healthy meals
prepared with canned ingredients.
The original study is
quite lengthy, so we will only list the “high-lights” of the study findings
that we feel are the most important and informational in regards to nutritional
value, and therefore, why you should consider adding them to your variety of
emergency food storage types.
|
What Are The Best Canned Food Storage Items
For Emergency Preparedness?
List of Foods Analyzed -
|
|
Canned
Fruits: |
applesauce, apricots, blackberries,
blueberries, grapefruit, mandarin oranges, peaches, pears, pineapple, purple
plums, strawberries, sweet bing cherries, tomatoes (stewed and whole)
|
|
Canned Vegetables:
|
asparagus, beets, carrots, corn, green beans,
mushrooms, peas, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potatoes, ripe olives, and white
potatoes
|
|
Canned
Beans: |
black, black-eyed peas, garbanzo, navy, pinto,
red kidney and white kidney
|
|
Canned Poultry and Fish:
|
breast of chicken, chunk light tuna, and pink
salmon
|
How Canned Food
Storage Compares Nutritionally -
Vitamin A
Many canned fruits and
vegetables are high in vitamin A, which is essential for the activity of
mucus-forming cells in the body, as well as for night and color vision. Since
little of the vitamin is lost during the canning process, canned products have
similar levels of vitamin A to their fresh and frozen counterparts.
Carotene’s
Vitamin A is present in
many fruits and vegetables as carotene’s antioxidants that provide protection
for the body s cells. Apricots, carrots, peaches, pumpkin, spinach and sweet potatoes
all are high in carotene’s.
Tomatoes, in particular,
are a favorite for canned food storage, they contain an important carotenoid
called lycopene, which appears to be effective in preventing certain cancers.
In fact, some analyses show lycopene is more effective when it is consumed
after it is heated or canned.
Dietary Fiber
Many fruits and
vegetables are important sources of dietary fiber. Blackberries, blueberries,
cherries and strawberries, as well as apples, carrots, beans and peas, provide
this vital food component in the form of cellulose and pectins.
The canning process does
not affect fiber content, making them comparable to fresh and frozen. In fact,
the heating process appears to make the fiber more soluble and, therefore, more
useful to the body.
Potassium and Folate
Consumers can always
count on beans for a great canned food storage item, they pack a powerful
nutritional punch. Not only an excellent source of protein and iron, beans also
are excellent sources of thiamin, dietary fiber and potassium which is
important for regulating blood pressure and kidney function. They are also a
good source of folic acid, which recent studies indicate plays a critical role
during pregnancy.
The USDA nutrient
database shows beans can provide 20 to 40 percent of the Recommended Daily
Intake (RDI) for folate. All of these nutrients hold up well in the canning
process, making them similar to dried varieties that are cooked from scratch.
Vitamin C
Apricots, asparagus,
oranges, grapefruits, pineapple, strawberries, spinach and tomatoes all are
significant sources of vitamin C. Although small amounts of vitamin C are lost
during heat treatment, most of what is lost ends up in the liquid in which the
product is packed. The C retained after canning remains stable during the one-
to two-year shelf life of the canned product.
Protein
Canned poultry and fish
considered protein foods are comparable to their fresh-cooked counterparts in
nutritional value, since protein is not affected by heat treatment. This makes
the canned varieties convenient alternatives to fresh-cooked, since they
require much less preparation time.
Calcium
The canning process
actually is responsible for higher calcium levels in canned fish than in
freshly cooked.
Thiamin
Thiamin, one of the
B-complex vitamins, is obtained by eating meats or legumes. Although this
vitamin is not particularly stable when heated, it survives the canning process
well, making canned meats and beans comparable to their freshly cooked
counterparts.
Advantages of Using
Canned Food Storage Items -
·
Canned foods are convenient - particularly when
used as recipe ingredients. Canned foods are quick, delicious alternatives to
fresh foods, when prepared for the table. However, the big advantage in using
canned varieties is easy preparation and year-round availability.
·
Nutrients Sealed In - Once the product
is canned, it usually maintains its nutrient levels, even after one to two
years of storage. This is particularly important, since canned products are
harvested at the peak of ripeness and usually canned only a few hours after
they are picked, sealing in the nutrients.
·
Safety Packed In - In addition to
being nutritionally comparable to their fresh and frozen counterparts, canned
products are one of the safest forms of food, according to the University of
Illinois study. Canned products are heated and vacuum-sealed, destroying
microorganisms that cause food borne illnesses, while locking in both flavor
and nutrients.
SAFETY NOTES -
Regarding Using Canned Food Storage
·
Always
use your oldest cans first, or FIFO, meaning: First-In, First-Out.
·
Before
opening, discard any badly dented, bulging, rusty, or leaky cans or jars that
have broken seals.
·
Discard
contents (do not taste) if there is a strange odor or appearance.
·
Discard
any can that spurts when opening.
