Canada 
Alberta 
British Columbia 
Manitoba
New Brunswick 
Newfoundland Labrador 
Nova Scotia 
Ontario 
Prince Edward Island 
Quebec 
Saskatchewan 
United States 
Belgium
France 
Italy 
Switzerland
Elsewhere
Elsewhere
×
Elsewhere
Elsewhere
Food and nutrition myth about frozen and canned vegetables and fruit
As promised in our March is nutrition month, we will be publishing one food & nutrition myth per day, written by Dietitians of Canada, so that you can “Get the real deal on your meal“.
MYTH: Frozen and canned vegetables and fruit are not as nutritious as fresh
THE TRUTH: Nothing beats the taste of fresh produce in season. But frozen and canned produce can be just as nutritious since it’s usually picked and packed at the peak of ripeness when nutrient levels are highest. Frozen or canned produce gives you benefits beyond health. It allows Canadians to enjoy a variety of vegetables and fruit year-round and is a practical choice for people living in remote areas. It’s also sometimes more affordable than fresh produce. And cooking with frozen or canned produce can save you time in the kitchen! Read the labels: The healthiest choices are products that contain no added sugar, fat or salt.
Source: Dietitians of Canada
Author
Cinzia Cuneo, founder of SOSCuisine.com, never wanted to neglect the quality of her food. She shares her special expertise to make good food quickly and without complications!
Regarding canned vegetables, I buy them sparingly because I am convinced that they contain chemicals and dyes and/or animal-based gelatins to preserve taste and freshness. Is this not the case? If we rinse before use, does this remove the offending elements whilst restoring healthful nutrients of the vegetable?
Regards,
I avoid most canned foods because of the BPA used in the lining. There are a few brands that don’t use BPA (I know of Yves and Eden, there are probably others). BPA is a known endocrine disruptor, and linked to a number of health issues (there was a good overview on The Nature of Things on CBC a few weeks ago); while it’s not proven that it leaches into canned foods, I’d rather not take the risk. Frozen foods are fine for the reasons stated: frozen at the peak of freshness etc. As far as I know, there’s no BPA or other chemicals added. (Then again, the use of BPA in canned foods wasn’t generally known for at least a decade after this practice started, wo who knows?)