Weekly Wellness Tips: Canned Food Month

Many times people scoff at canned foods, questioning whether they are a healthy choice; they are a healthy choice and a money-saver that enables you to stretch your food budget.

Canned food stays fresh and edible longer than frozen food (or fresh, obviously), so it's best for long-term storage.

Canned food processing facilities are usually located very close to the farms where the food is grown. Allowing for the foods to be processed and packaged quickly after being picked, unlike fresh produce that can sometimes sit for weeks in warehouses.

According to the FDA, "Most produce will begin to lose some of its nutrients when harvested. When produce is handled properly and canned quickly after harvest, it can be more nutritious than fresh produce sold in stores."

When comparing the nutritional content of some canned foods to the fresh or frozen equivalent the nutritional difference is negligible. The nutrients needed for a healthy diet can be met when combining canned foods with fresh, frozen, dried or 100% juice from fruits and vegetables.

"Canned" food can also refer to foods packaged in glass jars and cardboard "Tetra Paks." Some examples of these canned foods are pasta sauce, applesauce and boxes of broths/soups.

Food safety is important when handling any foods. The canning process significantly reduces any risk of microbial contamination. Canning also eliminates contamination from other elements during production, transportation and storage. It also locks in nutrition and extends the shelf life of food.

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Chickpeas are great all around and are easy to find canned!

Chickpea Recipes: Roasted Chickpea Gyros & Tzatziki Suace

Roasted Chickpea Gyros Makes 4 Ingredients: 1-15 ounce can of low sodium Chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1 ½ cups soaked chickpeas if starting from dry) 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil 1 ½ teaspoons paprika ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon salt 4 pita flatbreads ¼ red onion, cut into strips 2 romaine lettuce leaves, roughly chopped 1 tomato, sliced 1 cup tzatziki- recipe attached Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 1. Pat dry chickpeas with a paper towel, removing any skins that may come off. 2. Gently toss chickpeas with oil; combine paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper and salt in small bowl and toss over chick peas. 3. Spread chickpeas onto a greased rimmed baking sheet and roast at 400 •F for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned but not hard. 4. Spread the flat bread with tzatziki on one side, then sprinkle with ¼ of the chickpeas and add veggies. Fold in half and enjoy! **If you don’t like spicy foods- reduce the amount of paprika, black pepper and cayenne to taste. adapted from: http://www.liveeatlearn.com/roasted-chickpea-gyro...

http://www.liveeatlearn.com/roasted-chickpea-gyros...

Tzatziki Sauce:  1 Cup plain Greek Yogurt 1 cup seeded cucumber,  shredded or diced 2 Tablespoons lemon juice  or white wine vinegar 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tablespoon chopped dill Salt and pepper to taste  1. Cut cucumber in half, shred  cucumber, place in paper towel  and then in dish towel. Squeeze  out excess water. 2. Combine all ingredients in a  bowl, add salt and pepper to taste.

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Check out this Canned Food Infographic from ChooseMyPlate.gov

Click the image below to see the full infographic.