7 Best and Worst Canned Foods

Are you committing to eating a healthy diet? You already know there’s much more to it than just eliminating junk food — but beyond that, it can get hard to know what processed foods are relatively healthy, and which ones hide tons of sugar, salt, and other ingredients you would never have suspected.

Choosing whole foods is the best option, and when you do choose processed foods, it’s important to understand the type of processing that is used. If you can’t buy all fresh foods, frozen food is generally the next best option, followed by canned foods. Some canned foods are an excellent source of protein, healthy carbohydrates, fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. There are, however, a host of unwanted ingredients that go into many seemingly healthy canned foods.

Many canned foods are chock full of sodium, preservatives, flavor enhancers and artificial flavoring. To maximize your healthy eating plan, learn to differentiate between healthy canned foods and options that may seem healthy but will actually do more harm than good.

3 Worst Canned Foods

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup was a staple in most homes just a few decades ago. Who doesn’t remember being served a nice hot bowl of chicken noodle soup when battling a cold or flu, or as an after school snack before dinner? Sure, the chicken noodle soup that you consumed as a child was good for the body and soul, but the kind that you will find in cans today has come a long way from the healthy, nourishing soup from years ago. And that’s not a good thing. Although it might seem as though it is a nutritionally superior item compared to other soups on supermarket shelves, unfortunately, most canned chicken noodle soup varieties are laden with sodium and chemical preservatives.

To get the nutritional benefits associated with chicken noodle soup, skip the canned variety and make your own from scratch.

Peas

Peas have a relatively short shelf life. For this reason, peas are generally purchased either frozen or canned.  

Canned peas don’t fare as well. Just one cup of canned peas contains almost 1/3 the recommended daily intake of sodium. What’s more, almost all of the vitamins and healthy nutrients are depleted by the high-heat canning process.

Ravioli

Ravioli...the Italian comfort food that is loved by both children and adults alike. There is an enormous difference between fresh-made ravioli and canned ravioli. The canned varieties are loaded with sodium, sugar and saturated fats. In addition to being chock-full of preservatives and artificial flavorings, canned ravioli is almost completely devoid of any vitamins and minerals, making it a nutritionally bankrupt food.