by Henri Zimand

Created on: February 08, 2009   Last Updated: May 01, 2010

Canned vegetables are never as healthy as fresh vegetables even though in some cases they could be.

Fresh vegetables are nutritionally better when used within a few days that they were picked. Fresh vegetables are not always available and therefore it is a fairly good substitute to have from time to time canned vegetables. The interesting facts about canned vegetables are that although they loose some of the vitamins their nutrition facts remain.

When vegetables have to go through a process, the more they go though the more they loose and also some additives are added to preserve these vegetables, like sodium, preservatives, sugar and flavoring. Cooking the vegetables at too high temperatures can kill some of the nutrients.

One of the ingredients that you need to avoid as much as possible is salt. Look in canned vegetables that no salt has been added.

Just look at vegetable juices, when you take them immediately and make juices they keep their juice, their freshness, the oxygen has had no time to take away the freshness and nutrients of the vegetables and therefore of course it is much better.

Of course we have two kinds of fresh vegetables that can be found the regular ones and the organic ones. The organic vegetables being of course much healthier. Remember also that canning and bagging takes some of the health giving benefits.

The interesting point that has been found is that frozen vegetables might even be better than fresh vegetables because they are picked when the vegetables are ripe and have more nutrients and vitamins. Fresh vegetables are picked when they are still young.

Now it also depends how you cook your vegetables to keep a maximum of nutrients and vitamins. Now it also depends how you cook your vegetables to keep a maximum of nutrients and vitamins. When you steam your vegetables instead of cooking and boiling them in water you will save a maximum of vitamins and nutrients.

One of the interesting tests to do is to look at fresh and canned vegetables and compare them. Take some examples and touch them and taste them and you will see how different they are and also often the taste can be slightly different. Also fresh vegetables will be crispy while canned will be soft.

Another important factor is that you should buy enough vegetables that will no last beyond two days because the longer the vegetables remain home the less fresh they will be, because the air and oxygen break down over time.

So if you look at certain details of course fresh vegetables are much better than canned vegetables.

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