A Healthy Diet Includes All Forms: Canned, Fresh and Frozen

The escalating debate about the source of and remedy for the poor state of American nutrition will only get louder in the coming years. There is one aspect of it, however, that everyone can agree on:  Americans need to eat more fruits and vegetables.  

Not surprisingly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently concluded that Americans aren't eating enough fruits and vegetables. Concurrently, the Produce for Better Health Foundation, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the Fruits & Veggies - More Matters^(TM) public health initiative. This launch was noteworthy because it recognized that all forms of fruits and vegetables are important in maintaining good health; fresh, canned, frozen, dried and 100 percent juice.

Those efforts were compounded by a recent study that was commissioned by the Canned Food Alliance (a member of the Produce for Better Health Foundation), conducted by the University of California – Davis and peer reviewed and published by the Journal of Science of Food and Agriculture.  The study focused on the comparative nutrient values of canned, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables.

This extensive literature review confirmed that canned, fresh and frozen forms of fruits and vegetables provide the nutrients needed for a healthful diet, and that exclusively consuming fresh fruits and vegetables ignores nutritional benefits provided by canned and frozen products.     

The UC Davis study also reaffirmed the results of past nutrition studies in stating that some canned foods actually present higher levels of essential nutrients (in particular, the fat-soluble carotenoids) than similar fresh or frozen items. This is because the canning process locks in nutrients at their peak of freshness and essentially shields it from the oxygen that would otherwise deplete some nutrients.

Additional conclusions drawn from the UC Davis study were:

• Canned:  Canned foods are packed at their peak of freshness and due to the absence of oxygen during their storage period, canned fruits and vegetables remain relatively stable up until the time they are consumed and have a longer shelf life. 
• Fresh:  Fresh is best if consumed within a short time after purchasing. 
• Frozen:  Frozen products also are packed at their peak of freshness. Frozen fruits and vegetables may be more nutritious in some cases if stored for short periods of time under well-controlled temperatures.
• All Forms:  Canned fruits and vegetables, along with fresh and frozen, contribute to the nation’s nutrition and make healthful choices available to everyone, everywhere.

Click Here to download the Produce for Better Health Foundation's - More Matters! launch press release. 

Click Here to learn more about the UC Davis Nutrition Study and to download the complete study.