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Canned goods are staples of every pantry. They come with a long shelf life so you can pick up a can in a grocery store and forget about it in your pantry for months. Keeping your pantry stocked with essential cans is a useful tip for every home cook, but there are certain canned foods you should avoid at all costs.
And according to health experts, one of the worst canned foods is something most people think is healthy: fruit.
Most people would assume that canned fruit is okay for your health because fruits are seen as healthy foods, but this is a common misconception. Fitness Nutrition Specialist Joey Thurman told SheFinds that canned fruit is loaded with extra sugar.
“Fruit is truly nature's candy, but that doesn't mean it needs to be coated in additional sugar,” Thurman said.
Thurman continued, “When you are looking for shelf-stable foods, make sure to read if it is packaged in syrup. The syrup will keep the sweetness of the fruit but will also add a ton of sugar to it that you do not need! These added sugars will spike your insulin levels, add more calories, fat, inflammation, and cause problems with your gut health."
A single can of peaches can have as many as 45 grams of sugar, thanks to the syrup the fruit is preserved in. On its own, a peach only has about 13 grams of sugar.
The American Heart Association recommends you limit your sugar intake to 25 grams per day. Buying canned fruit with added sugars can harm your health, but there are alternatives you can shop for.
Next time you need to buy canned fruit, pay closer attention to the options in the grocery store. Canned fruit in syrup will always have added sugars, but you can find a can without this additional ingredient.
For example, a can of peaches preserved in water typically has 24.5 grams of sugar - half as much as peaches in syrup. Make sure you look for a label that says “no added sugars” when you shop for canned foods.
