Shopping for groceries may seem like a challenge when someone must stock up for the winter, but nutritionists know that many canned foods are healthy choices. Here are some of the canned foods that cooks can keep in their kitchen cupboards.
Chicken
Having a few cans of chicken in the cupboards makes it easy to make a fast sandwich. If the power goes off during the winter, then the canned chicken is an excellent source of protein.
Peaches
While fresh fruit is often expensive at certain times of the year, canned fruit such as peaches are a healthy choice. Look for canned peaches that are made using 100 percent natural fruit juice rather than heavy syrup that is high in sugar.
Green Beans
Green beans are a nutritious vegetable that chefs can cook alone or add to other recipes. Canned green beans are fast and simple to cook, but it is important to look for products that don’t have any added sodium.
Tomatoes
Most individuals don’t have time to chop tomatoes for pasta casseroles, but canned tomatoes are available in different styles such as diced or crushed. Some types of canned tomatoes have additional ingredients such as onions, garlic or peppers.
Tuna
It is important to consume fatty fish that contains omega-3 fatty acids. Canned tuna is an economical way to obtain this nutrient, and this type of product will remain fresh for several months or longer.
Applesauce
Unsweetened plain or cinnamon-flavored canned applesauce is an excellent food to keep in a kitchen year-round. This fruit is perfect for serving at breakfast or for snacks, and it is also a replacement ingredient for oil in baked good recipes.
Beans
It can take several hours to soak and cook dried beans, but canned beans are usable immediately in recipes for soup or chili. While there are unsalted canned beans available, a cook can also rinse the canned beans thoroughly to remove the sodium and other preservatives from this food.
Pumpkin
Rather than buying a whole pumpkin and spending several hours obtaining the pulp to make a pie or other baked good, cooks can buy canned pumpkin instead.