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Fortifying
Your Diet with Canned Foods
- A
1997 University of Illinois' Department of Food Science study
found canned fruits and vegetables are comparable and sometimes
better than their fresh or frozen counterparts.
- The
study examined the nutritional content of 35 canned fruits,
vegetables, legumes fish and poultry and the nutritional value
of five recipes using canned, fresh and frozen ingredients.
- Spaghetti
sauce made with canned tomatoes provided more fibre, potassium,
vitamins A&C, calcium and iron per serving than the same
recipe prepared with fresh tomatoes.
- Canned
salmon is higher in calcium than fresh or frozen product.
- Canned
red kidney beans ranked first in fibre content among the 35
products analyzed. The beans provide 9.2 grams per one-cup
serving.
A
complete listing of the study results can be found on at http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/~nutrican
From
January 1998 edition of "Prepared Foods" Magazine.
Pulses
- dried peas, beans, lentils and chick peas fit the overall healthy
eating pattern encouraged by Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating.
They are low in fat and good sources of protein, starch and fibre.
Soluble
Fibre
Found in beans, peas, chick peas, oat bran, fruits and lentils.
Soluble fibre forms a gel inside the digestive system and is
thought to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood and delay
entry of sugar into the blood stream. This delay appears to
stabilize blood sugar levels.
Insoluble
Fibre
Found in peas, beans and lentils, wheat bran, vegetables,
fruits, whole grains and breads, improves regularity by speeding
up the passage of food through the intestine and is believed
have a role in the prevention of colon cancer.
Lentils
contain mostly insoluble fibre, while peas and beans contain
both. Because green lentils are consumed with their seed coat
intact, they have almost twice the amount of fibre of imported
red lentils.
Folic
Acid
Pulses are rich in the B-vitamin, folic acid. A low intake
of folic acid by pregnant women could put the fetus at risk
of Neural Tube Defects. Even small servings (less than 1/2 cup,
125 ml) of lentils and other pulses provide excellent sources
of folic acid.
Potassium
Pulses are an excellent source of potassium which contributes
to a regular heart beat, regulates transfer of nutrients to
cells, controls water balance and helps regulate blood pressure.
B
Vitamins
Pulses are good sources of niacin, thiamin, panthothenic
acid and pyridoxine, necessary for healthy brain and nerve cells,
for normal functioning of the skin nerves and digestive system
in the chemical reactions of the amino acids and proteins.
Protein
Pulses are good sources of vegetable protein which must
be combined with a complementary protein to become a complete
protein containing the nine essential amino acids. Pulses, when
eaten with nuts, seeds, rice or grains, fulfill the requirements
of a complete protein.
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Bean
Facts
