If you’re embarking on a new healthy diet, you’ve likely got a lot of ground to cover. One of the first and easiest ways to clean up your diet is to remove processed and canned foods. Canned foods may be convenient in a pinch, but not if you’re factoring in the impact they can have on your body.
There are a few companies popping up that provide sodium free and BPA free canned beans, like Eden Organic. Do your research, and if you’re a super busy mom or have circumstances that require your attention to be elsewhere, find companies that do their best to keep you safe from the harmful impact of traditional canned foods. If you follow these guidelines, having beans from a can from time to time isn’t going to kill you, but whenever possible try cooking or preparing your food fresh and from scratch at home instead.
4 Reasons to Avoid Canned Foods
1. BPA Content: BPA or Bisphenol – A is one of the toxins that is often found in cans, and it can leach into the foods as well. BPA is an artificial estrogen that has been linked with heart disease, blood sugar issues, miscarriages, low testosterone in men and prostate and breast cancer. Women experiencing fertility issues really want to steer clear of canned foods.
2. Sodium Content: Canned foods generally contain astronomical levels of sodium. Canned foods can contain up to 15% more sodium than their non canned home cooked counterparts. Excess sodium can cause blood pressure and other heart issues. It is much better to prepare your own foods so that you can control the amount of sodium you add to you foods.
3. Sulfite content: Sulfites are another component of canned foods that you want to avoid. Sulfites are preservatives that are added to foods to extend their shelf life. Many people are seriously sensitive to sulfites, and others are a little less sensitive and react but don’t know it. Sulfites can cause reactions such as wheezing, coughing and skin rashes. Other names for sulfites are sulfur dioxide, potassium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite or sodium sulfite. Yummy!
4. Extreme temperature exposure: Canned foods are also heated to an extreme degree for a long time in order to kill off any bacteria or other pathogens that may be in the food. This process also kills off many of the heat sensitive nutrients like vitamins and minerals, and it changes the structure of the proteins in the foods. The reason canned foods last so long is because anything that could degrade has been killed! These foods are extremely nutrient depleted.
3 Ways to Ditch Cans and Still Save time and Money!
If you’re eating form a can, you’re either on a serious budget, low on energy, or feel like there’s not enough time in the day to eat healthy by preparing your own food.
1. Buy organic beans and pulses in bulk where they’re much cheaper, you can often find these at ethnic stores rather than shopping at a big brand health food or grocery store. Soak your beans or pulses overnight and cook them in batches so you can enjoy them throughout the week.
2. Batch cooking and prep days can save you a lot of time. Try mapping out your meals, or follow a done for you meal plan like this one and set aside days of the week where you spend an hour or two getting what you need to enjoy healthy meals together.
3. Look for areas of your budget that can be leaned out to lend a few extra dollars to your grocery budget. Healthy eating is important, so make good food a priority.
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