Food is our fuel and our body relies on the nutrition it provides. Canned foods are often overlooked as a convenient source of nutrition as many canned foods are bursting with nutrients and are an easy way to add vitamins and minerals to your diet.
Using canned food in cooking is a convenient, affordable way to ensure that you include each of the essential food groups and healthy nutrients in your meals. Many canned goods also now come in low salt and low sugar or organic alternatives. For more information about food groups, visit the Everyday Nutrition page.
Canny fruit facts
Brightly coloured canned fruits are packed with antioxidants. Anthocyanins in canned prunes are believed to help circulation, while carotenes in apricots and mangos may be useful for sun protection and heart health.
Canned blackcurrants, mangoes, pineapples and strawberries all contain Vitamin C which help strengthen bones and acts as an antioxidant, protecting against infection. All canned berries also provide other antioxidants and phytochemicals.
All fruit canned in its own juice counts towards your 5-A-DAY.
Canny vegetable facts
Canned vegetables, beans and pulses are good sources of fibre, which help promote good digestion as well as lowering blood cholesterol levels and stabilising blood sugar.
Canned sweetcorn, asparagus, peas, spinach, black eyed beans, lentils, chick peas, pinto beans and kidney beans are a good source of folic acid, which plays an important role in making DNA and RNA as well as helping to produce new cells.
Canned tomatoes, as well as tomato soup, are an excellent source of the health protecting antioxidant lycopene which has been linked to a reduced incidence of some types of cancer.
Canned carrots contains beta-carotene which converts vitamin A in the body, promoting healthy skin and strengthening the immune system, helping to fight off bacteria and viruses.
As well as being a good source of fibre, baked beans also contain magnesium, which benefits blood pressure, helps cells to make energy and relax muscles.
Canned vegetables in their own juice count towards your 5-A-DAY.
Canny meat facts
Corned beef and ham are rich in protein, helping to make and repair cells.
Canned Irish stew, mince and meatballs are a great source of iron which carries oxygen in the blood to our organs and muscles.
Canned meals can form part of a healthy balanced diet. Canned meat such as mince, Irish stew and meatballs are a great source of iron and zinc, and can often be lower in fat than home made versions.
Canny milk and dairy facts
Calcium helps to keep our bones strong and healthy, and canned rice pudding and custard are low fat sources of calcium.
Canny fish facts
Canned oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, pilchards, sardines and kippers are all sources of omega 3 fatty acids, which play a role in the prevention of heart disease and count towards the recommended one serving of oily fish a week.
Canned tuna is a low carb, high protein food that contains a powerful antioxidant helping to protect your body from free radicals, which are important for a healthy heart and good for your skin.
You can find sustainable canned fish at the supermarket.
