7 Canned Foods You Should Buy And 7 You Shouldn't

Since its invention in 1809, as per Britannica, canning has been the mainstay for preserving food. Cans were once lined with BPA or bisphenol A, a chemical used to strengthen plastic. Decades of research showed a link between BPA and severe health issues, particularly for children (via Mayo Clinic). In 2012 and 2013, the FDA banned the use of BPA in certain products but stood by its claim that BPA was safe (per FDA). However, canned food is mostly BPA-free and can be enjoyed without worrying about exposure. 

That's good to hear, since pretty much anything can be canned: meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, and even a whole chicken. The canning process involves heating the cans so that bacteria are killed and a vacuum seal is formed. Some foods don't degrade from that method of canning and keep their flavor, consistency, and quality. Other foods don't fare as well and can even be pumped full of sodium and sugar to improve their taste. So, which canned foods are worth your while, and which are best left to gather dust on the shelf? We've selected seven canned goods you should buy, and seven you shouldn't.

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are one of the most popular members of the legume family. They also have a real historic pedigree, having shown up in ancient writings in Turkey and France (via Harvard School of Public Health). Chickpeas are a staple in many cuisines and serve as the basis for hummus and falafel, as well as a variety of main dishes and salads. Not only are these golden gems delicious, but they also happen to be seriously nutritious. Chickpeas are packed with 14.5 grams of protein and 12.5 grams of fiber per one-cup serving (via Healthline) and provide 74% of your daily value of manganese, a mineral used to treat osteoporosis, arthritis, and post-menstrual syndrome, among other conditions (per Mount Sinai). 

If that weren't enough of a nutritional benefit, numerous studies have proposed that daily consumption of chickpeas can lower your LDL ("bad") cholesterol, increase brain function, and reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes (via Healthline). Finally, when you open a can of chickpeas, don't immediately strain out the liquid, because that viscous stuff is liquid gold.  Called aquafaba, it can be used as an egg white substitute for making both sweet and savory goodies, like meringue, mayonnaise, and macarons. 

Canned tomatoes are a staple of any well-stocked pantry. Picked and canned at their peak, they can be almost as juicy and flavorful as fresh ones. The canning process does affect their consistency, however, so canned tomatoes are best used in pasta sauces, pizza sauces, casseroles, and braises. According to Healthline, tomatoes are full of vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K1 (essential for bone health), vitamin B9, and lycopene. A powerful antioxidant, lycopene, is most concentrated in the tomato's skin, and the redder the tomato, the great amount of lycopene in the tomato. 

Canning does leach out some of the tomato's vitamins and nutrients, but heating also increases the amount of lycopene and renders it easier to be absorbed in our bodies (via Healthwise). Likewise, byproducts of cooked tomatoes — juice, tomato paste, and ketchup — have higher levels of lycopene than fresh tomatoes. The positive effects of lycopene have been reported in hundreds of studies (per Annual Review of Food Science and Technology), and research strongly suggests that lycopene consumption can decrease the risk of heart disease and various types of cancer. Some canned tomatoes can have high levels of sodium, though, so look for brands that are processed with no salt.

It must have taken a lot of courage and hunger for the first person who saw an artichoke to think "Hey, I could eat that!" If you've ever attempted to prepare a fresh artichoke, then it's apparent that an artichoke presents a real challenge. Yet despite its prickly exterior, the artichoke's heart is toothsome and delicious once cooked. But few of us have the time to clean several artichokes for a meal. Jarred artichoke hearts are often available marinated in oil and spices and can make for tasty appetizers. Meanwhile, canned artichoke hearts are packed in water and salt and can be used in many recipes. 

Artichokes are low in fat and calories, high in fiber, and have especially high levels of antioxidants (via Healthline). Another plus: cooking fresh artichokes does not radically diminish their nutrients. In addition, by consuming a single artichoke, according to the National Foundation for Cancer Research, you'll get a whopping 25% of your daily requirement for vitamin C, which may be linked to reduced cancer risk. You'll also get about five to six artichoke hearts in a can, making them a great bargain, too.

Often called a "superfood," beans have almost magical nutritional properties when it comes to tasks fighting cancer, lowering "bad" LDL cholesterol, and improving digestive health (via WebMD). Beans are low in fat, full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and are a staple in plant-based diets around the world. But that can of baked beans or barbecued beans pretty much negates all of the natural goodness of the humble ingredient. According to Healthline, baked beans are typically composed of navy beans that aren't always baked, and depending on the variety, are canned with tomato sauce, sugar, molasses, salt, and spices. If they're not vegetarian beans, then pork may be in the mix as well.

Normally, a can of regular beans is type 2 diabetes-friendly because of its low glycemic index, which helps your body balance its levels of blood sugar and insulin. With all of that added sugar, however, it's clear that baked beans do not belong on any diabetic's plate. In England, where the Brits love baked beans in tomato sauce, a 200-gram portion has almost as much sugar as it does fiber (BBC Good Food). Meanwhile, U.S. brands have 12 grams of sugar in a half cup, which accounts for 20% of the daily limit in a 2000-calorie diet. Baked beans are tasty, but the healthier option is to make them from scratch yourself and keep an eye on the sugar.

We can thank Napoleon for canned meat. In 1809, French chef Nicolas Appert won a 12,000-franc award for inventing a method for safely preserving food for Napoleon's troops (via Smithsonian Magazine). All kinds of meat are canned today, but not all canned meat is of the same quality and taste. Spam is, of course, widely considered to be the king of canned meat (or at least the most recognizable example) and it has only six ingredients. But like all canned meats, it's high in calories, fat, and sodium (per Nutrition Value). 

According to Healthline, you're gambling with your life by consuming any processed meat, which is linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, and bowel and stomach cancer. The absolute worst canned meat you could buy is potted meat, the primary ingredient of which is mechanically separated chicken, the paste made from anything considered edible on a chicken carcass. With 8.06 grams of saturated fat and 2,418 grams of sodium per 100-gram serving, not to mention high levels of sodium nitrite (via Open Food Facts), it's no wonder that canned potted meat is best left on the shelf.

Campbell's iconic red-and-white can is frequently found in kitchen pantries across the world. As per Men's Journal, canned soup can be a nutritious meal, but you need to read labels before you start congratulating yourself for choosing a healthy option. Canned soup is infamous for its high level of sodium. As recommended by the American Heart Association, sodium should be limited to 2,300 milligrams per day. But Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup has 1,550 milligrams of sodium in a single-portion can. Campbell's and other brands do have low-sodium soups available, which are the better choice when it comes to controlling your sodium intake.

Also be cautious with cream-based soups, like New England clam chowder. No doubt you expect chowder to have high-fat cream or milk, but in Progresso's chowder, the primary ingredients are soybean oil and modified food starch, a thickener. These are accompanied by cream and butter, which are way down on the list and account for fewer than 1% of total ingredients (per Fooducate).

According to Insider, there really is a nutritional difference between canned green vegetables and fresh or frozen ones. Chef Barry Tonkinson, VP of Culinary Operations at the Institute of Culinary Education, is a fan of certain canned vegetables, which can make some recipes more accessible. Yet they're not all wins. Tonkinson claims that the big failure in canned foods comes from green vegetables. Because of the high heat needed for canning, green vegetables — in particular, green beans, asparagus, and peas — suffer the most from the process. This ultimately means that they lose nutrients and flavor. 

Manufacturers often try to compensate for this loss by adding salt and sugar (via UCLA Health), which doesn't exactly up the health value of the can's contents. A one-cup serving of canned spinach, for example, has 689 milligrams of sodium (per Nutritionix), while the same size serving of frozen spinach has only 184 milligrams. Likewise, one cup of canned asparagus has 695 milligrams of sodium, or 30% of recommended daily value (via Nutrition Value), compared to frozen asparagus with a meager 4.6 milligrams. We get that sometimes canned vegetables are more available than frozen or fresh, but this health differences are stark. Even if we set the sodium issue aside, does anyone really enjoy the mushy consistency of canned asparagus?