Food Tip – Choosing Canned Fruit

by Shereen Jegtvig

Fruits are sweet and delicious – and so good for you. Most fresh fruits offer lots of vitamins such as folate and vitamin C and minerals such as potassium. Unfortunately, fresh fruits aren’t always that convenient – they perish quickly – so many people prefer the ease of canned fruits.

There are a couple of things to think about when you’re buying cans of fruit. More nutrients are lost in canning as compared to freezing, especially vitamin C and folate, so you lose a bit of the nutrition. Canned fruits often contain added sweeteners, like high fructose corn syrup, and flavor enhancers and preservatives. These usually aren’t artificial enhancers and preservatives – usually pectins and vitamin C (ascorbic acid).

Be sure to read the labels when you buy canned fruits to avoid the added sugars. Use our FoodEssentials tool to get a preview of what you’ll find at the grocery store. Take a look at canned apples arranged by the prensence of high fructose corn syrup to get an idea:

More than half of the canned apples listed contain added high fructose corn syrup.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Lower Cholesterol Through Diet
• Mexican Foods – Ready To Go
• Research: Orange Juice – What people are looking for
• Choosing Canned Meat
• The Goodness of Grapes