Canned Fruits and Vegetables are Nutritious

Suggested Anchor Introduction

Consumers may be surprised to learn that canned produce can be better for you than fresh. New Mexico State University's Anna María Pérez-Wright has details.

Story

Click to Listen:

Canned fruits and vegetables are a nutritious alternative if you can't buy fresh produce regularly. Program coordinator Kari Bachman with New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service says some people can't get fresh produce because they live far from a store, lack transportation or don't have a refrigerator. She says others don't buy canned vegetables because they have a misconception that canned produce lacks nutrients.

"What people don't realize is that when fresh vegetables and fruits have been stored for a long time, they lose important vitamins such as folate and vitamin C. On the other hand, their canned counterparts stay at the peak of freshness and retain most of their nutrients for one to two years."

In fact, Bachman says one canned vegetable actually has a higher nutrient value than when it's eaten raw.

"Tomato sauce and paste are very high in lycopene, a beneficial substance that fights free radicals, which can produce some types of cancer. Lycopene occurs naturally in tomatoes, but it's more accessible to our bodies when the tomatoes have been processed."

To eliminate salt or sugar added in the canning process, Bachman suggests rinsing canned fruits and vegetables in fresh water before eating or using them in recipes. For N-M-S-U's College of Agriculture and Home Economics, I'm Anna María Pérez-Wright.