What are non-perishable foods and are they healthy for me?

Although eating all our fruit and vegetables in season, picked when optimally ripe and fresh might be ideal, it isn’t realistic. The good news is we can eat a nourishing diet with a mix of fresh, frozen, dried and canned food making it a whole lot easier.

What are non-perishable foods?

Non-perishable food (food that is processed or packaged to withstand prolonged storage) is plentiful and lots of it can be combined to make a tasty and healthy meal. Plus they can be kept in your pantry for months or even years. Great for when you can’t get to the shop or when fresh varieties are running low.

 Here are a few non-perishable foods that can be staples in your home:

• Dried and canned beans/legumes. e.g. chickpeas, 3 Bean mix, kidney beans and lentils.
• Nuts (and nut butters) and seeds. Did you know that fresh nuts keep for longer if kept in the fridge or freezer?
• Dried fruits and vegetables e.g. sultanas, peas, mango.
• Canned fish and poultry e.g tuna, salmon, sardines, chicken.
• Grains e.g oats, barley, rice, quinoa, flour.
• Canned vegetables and fruits e.g. tomatoes, pears, corn.
• Soup e.g. canned or pouch varieties (read the label for salt content and look for lower salt options ) over instant powders.

Dried fruits are a great staple to keep in the pantry and can be added to oats for breakfast or a salad at lunch.

Wait, don’t packaged foods have preservatives?

Not all packaged foods are highly processed or packed with preservatives. Think of many canned foods such as legumes, fruit and vegetables.

They might undergo washing, peeling, coring and blanching but they still have a lot of nutrients to offer and can sometimes be at a better price. They are canned and cooked like a pressure cooker for a short period of time to kill off any bacteria and to preserve the contents. 

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diet

Simone Austin

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As they are sealed they don’t need many (if any) preservatives added, and the nutrients are preserved as there is no oxygen getting into the can for oxidation to occur. 

Canned produce is also picked at prime ripeness, ensuring peak flavour and nutrient content. The short cooking process may reduce the nutrient content slightly of water-soluble vitamins and remove some fibre if the peel is removed.

On the flip-side, it can actually increase the level of some nutrients, for instance, the antioxidant group, lycopene in tomatoes. Another bonus is there is no forgetting about them, only to discover them wilting at the bottom of the fridge.

What to look for when buying non-perishable foods

Read the label on cans for salt added, reduced salt products might be a good way to go, and fruit canned in water or natural juice rather than syrup. Look for cans without damage as if air can get in, that is when bacteria can breed. 

Think about mixing and matching with fresh and non-perishable foods. If you are running low on fresh meat or fish you can top up the meal with canned or dried legumes. An extra can of kidney beans in the chilli con carne or some brown lentils into the bolognese sauce. This boosts the plant protein and adds fibre too.

If making a fruit salad a can of fruit salad combined with fresh fruit thrown in makes a nice combination to top yoghurt, cereal or for dessert.

Looking for a sandwich filling, then canned fish, with canned beetroot and maybe some jar olives or pickled onions or sauerkraut might go down well. Pickling is a great way of preserving vegetables. They taste great and if fermented too can produce metabolites in the process that can be good for our health. 

Top up a miso soup mix with frozen veggies.

Frozen food is a great option to bridge the gap between canned and fresh. Frozen fruit and vegetables are snap frozen and therefore retain the nutrients well. They can also save time when you buy a combination mix all ready to go. A stir fry can be whipped up in no time with a frozen stir fry vegetables variety pack, a ready minute rice container and then add some nuts and seeds, and a sauce.

Long-life milk and dairy alternatives are handy too. Even powdered milk will stay in the pantry for long periods if kept in an airtight container. If you can’t get fresh bread then wholegrain crackers might just do. Look for the words wholegrain on the pack and compare the salt level, looking for the lower salt varieties. 

How much salt is too much?

A good salt level is considered 400mg or less per 100g and low salt 120mg per 100g. Otherwise baking bread from your pantry flour staples and adding in some seeds and grains is a great pastime- think about all that bread baked during lockdown. 

There are plenty of staples we can enjoy when fresh produce is running a little low that taste great and are good for us too.