How to Choose the Best Kind of Canned Fruits for You and Your Family

Photo credit: Bigstockphoto
Photo credit: Bigstockphoto

The choices we make each day regarding our diet directly affect our overall health. The same thing can be said about your family’s health. Unfortunately, we are not all on the same page as far as standards and guidelines of healthy diet are concerned.

Some types of foods may be considered healthy by some but unhealthy to others. A fine example would be canned fruits. Because overly processed foods tend to lose their nutritional value, it’s hard to say if canned fruits contain the same level of nutrients found in fresh fruits.

The good news is that by making the right choice, you can achieve the same level of health benefits found in fresh fruits by adding canned fruits to your diet. Of course, there are certain things you have to consider before buying just any kind of processed food. Below are tricks on how you can get the best kind of canned fruits for you and your family:

Peeled or With Skin On?

Certain types of canned fruits are processed with their peels off. This is common in canned peaches, pears, and apples. Other types of fruits come with their peels on like cherries or grapes. When choosing the best kind of canned fruits for you and your family, you have to turn to canned fruits with their peels on.

Canned fruits with their peels on help retain fiber. Fiber is a natural compound that helps expel toxins from the body as waste. It also helps promote better digestion, normalizes blood sugar level in the body, and cuts the risk of serious diseases including heart problems and cancer.

Go for Organically Produced Canned Fruits

Ideally, you want to choose canned fruits that are minimally processed. This helps retain its nutritional value. We recommend choosing organically produced fruits that are packed using hygienic processes to prevent bacterial growth.

Organically produced fruits use no pesticides or chemicals during cultivation. These chemicals are harmful to the body. Over time, eating foods cultivated with chemicals may lead to health problems including cancer.

Heat Sensitivity

Certain types of vitamins are destroyed when heat is applied during the canning process. Vitamin C is a great example. Vitamin C is extremely heat-sensitive and if you’re looking for canned goods rich in vitamins, then you have to choose those that were processed minimally. Do note that not all types of vitamins and minerals are heat-sensitive. Vitamins A and B are very heat resistant.

Syrup or Juice/Water?

It’s typical for canned fruits to be packed in syrup. This helps preserve freshness and adds flavor to the fruit. Unfortunately, sugar has no nutritional value. Eating canned fruits suspended in syrup is unhealthy. And if you think canned fruits in light syrup are a healthy choice, think again. Light syrup doesn’t even make a difference; it contains empty calories just like canned fruits in heavy syrup!

We recommend choosing canned fruits that are packed with their natural juices instead. Canned fruits packed with water are a great option too! Both types of canned fruits contain all the natural goodness of fruits without the unnecessary calories.