Sometimes there are times in life that we’re too busy, too sick, too tired, or too over-worked to stop at the grocery and get fresh food. What happens when we’re stuck in the house with no fresh food to eat? Worse: what happens when you have to feed others with the bare minimum of food in the house? Though canned food sometimes gets a bad reputation for being packed in sugars, salts, and a can, canned food can be very convenient to have on hand for those stretches of time you know you won’t be able to make it to the market. But, what canned food is the best to eat? What’s the healthiest? What can you make and serve with canned food? Here I’ll show some quick and easy ways to perk up your culinary life using simple canned foods that are cheap, easy to store, and last a long time; further, these recipes are healthy and can be altered to your diet and taste.

Canned Pineapple
Canned fruit is a must-have-on-hand for any pantry, but buying canned fruit can be tricky if you don’t read labels and nutritional information. Make sure when you buy canned pineapple that it is packed in 100% pineapple juice; canned pineapple in syrup is 90 calories a serving with 22 grams of sugar (some of which is not natural fruit sugars) versus canned pineapple in 100% juice which is 60 calories a serving and 13 grams of sugar (which is natural fruit sugar). If you happen to have pineapple (or any canned fruit) packed in syrup rinse is at least three times before eating. This will help get any added sugar off and make the healthy fruit healthy again. Pineapple is low in sodium, naturally fat free, naturally cholesterol free, and very high in Vitamin C (what a perfect treat in those bleak winter months!) *
Canned Pineapple Spritzer:
Open a can of pineapple packed in 100% pineapple juice and pour out the juice into a glass. Fill the glass up the rest of the way with flavored seltzer water (try lime, raspberry, or orange). Add a slice of lime to the glass or even throw in some pineapple chunks. Mix up and enjoy! Sometimes I even mix in a teaspoon of sugar free lemonade or fruit punch mix for an added kick.
Other uses for canned pineapple: Eat alone with some whipped cream or mix into a bowl with berries and apples; eat as an afternoon snack; throw over chicken, pork, or even salmon or white fish; bake pineapple into your muffins, cakes, or pancakes; use crushed pineapple in yogurts or oatmeal; check out (http://www.recipezaar.com/108162) this delicious naturally sugar-free pineapple crisp recipe (I’ve made it and it’s delicious cold and hot!)
Canned peaches:
As with the canned pineapple make sure to look for either “sugar-free” or “no-sugar added” or “in its own juice” when it comes to peaches. Peaches are a great fruit to have on hand because they are a hearty accompaniment to any dessert or meal. Peaches have no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium, and are high in Vitamin A and C. You can grill peaches on the barbecue, or have them warm with whipped cream—delicious!
Canned peas:
I love having canned peas on hand because they can be thrown into literally everything. Remember to wash off the peas before you use them to dispose of any salts or sugars. I mix peas into stir fries, eggs, mashed potatoes; mix rinsed canned corn (not creamed corn) and rinsed canned peas into rice for a delicious vegetable rice that will please all members of the family. Make some whole-wheat pasta and mix in canned peas and some tomato sauce for a healthy and delicious twist on pasta with sauce. Be warned that canned peas can sometimes be mushy, but they are still healthy and flavorful! Green peas are high in vitamin K, vitamin C, and are a great source of fiber.
Canned Beans:
Canned beans should be a staple of any pantry for they don’t lose any nutritional value in the canning process which means that canned beans are just as nutritious as dried beans that one would cook on their own. Beans are a great source of fiber; a half a cup of beans provide thirty percent of the daily fiber adults need every day; they are also a great source of proteins (beans are a staple in the vegetarians’ diet) as well as iron. Although a can of beans seems quite boring and sometimes confusing to use, one should learn some bean recipes for beans are cheap, healthy, and very filling. As with the fruit, one must rinse beans until the water runs clear. Canned beans are often packed in sugars and a great amount of salt which form a mucky substance that is not healthy for anyone (and may cause stomach aches!). When rinsed, clean canned beans can be a great side dish or thrown into practically any meal.**
Olivia’s recipe for quick and simple bean salad:
Ingredients:
1 can of canned, rinsed pink beans
1 can of canned, rinsed black beans
1 can of canned, rinsed pinto beans
2 tablespoons of olive oil
½ teaspoon of salt and pepper each
You may add, if you have on hand:
Chopped red and green bell pepper (one of each)
½ cup chopped red onion
1 cucumber sliced thin
Mix together for a hearty and fresh salad which can be eaten with meats, on a picnic, or just as a snack!
Canned chickpeas:
Chickpeas are a great pantry staple because they are high in protein, fiber, and folate; not to mention that a large can of chickpeas is cheap and very filling. Like any other bean, you must rinse chickpeas of all added preservatives until the water runs clear. You can throw chickpeas in with a stir-fry, a salad, a bean salad, or make your own hummus or falafels!
An easy and delicious falafel recipe can be found here: http://www.recipezaar.com/17334
A basic hummus recipe can be found here: http://www.cooksrecipes.com/mless/basic_hummus_recipe.html
Canned tuna:
Canned tuna is a very popular pantry item but often people aren’t sure what to do with it. Make sure when buying canned tuna that you buy tuna packed in water, not oil. A simple tuna salad is tuna, mayo, celery bits, and a little salt and pepper. Make a tuna sandwich with the simple bean salad and it’s a great dinner right there! You can also mix the tuna with an egg and some bread crumbs, pan-fry and you have a tuna burger, simple as that.
Canned Chicken:
Due to the mercury found in canned tuna, it is only supposed to be eaten sparingly, which is why I was so excited to find canned chicken at my local Costco. Its chicken packed in water and comes in very large cans. We keep it on hand in my house and when I’m too tired to make a full dinner I make this simple and very delicious chicken salad recipe which I eat on top of a bed of lettuce or in a sandwich.
Simple canned chicken salad recipe:
Ingredients:
Can of chicken
A tablespoon or two of mayo
½ cup of chopped celery
Two table spoons of low fat sour cream
¼ cup of chopped walnuts
Teaspoon of paprika
Dash of salt and pepper
Mix together for a super simple, hearty, and delicious dinner!

Canned soups:
When buying canned soups keep these things in mind: 1. Try to find low sodium soups because often canned soups are pumped full of sodium to keep the shelf life longer; 2. Look for soups with no added sugar. Look on the nutritional information to make sure there is no High Fructose Corn Syrup or refined sugars; 3. Try to get soups that are high in vegetable content to help get your suggested daily amount of vegetables; 4. Take your time and really read through the ingredients to make sure that there is no (or the least amount) of preservatives added. Sometimes there are preservatives added to expand the shelf life of canned soup, but you don’t want to be eating all of these added manufactured ingredients.
I hope these simple tips help you stock your pantry and create easy, healthy, and filling meals for you and your family! All recipes written here are original recipes by Olivia Dreizen (not the linked ones).
*Nutritional information from Dole.com
**http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/112/beans
Olivia March Dreizen, © 2008 butyoudontlooksick.com