Što svi griješe u vezi s konzerviranom hranom

Konzervirana hrana dobiva prilično loš glas. Vjerojatno ste čuli ili pročitali da konzervirana roba nije tako hranjiva kao svježa ili smrznuta hrana, da je uvijek prepuna viška količine natrija ili šećera, ili čak da su same limenke obložene štetnim kemikalijama. Istina je (kao i obično) puno kompliciranija.

The process of canning dates back to the 18th century, when it was used to feed soldiers and sailors at war, and involves sealing foods in cans or jars and then pressure-cooking them at a high temperature in order to kill any harmful bacteria and preserve the food (via BBC). While this does destroy some of the nutrients present in the raw ingredients, so does cooking them from fresh. In fact, these nutrients start to deteriorate the moment the item is picked from the plant, even if you're keeping it chilled in your fridge. In other words, the canning process itself doesn't make a food healthy or unhealthy — for that, you'll need to look at individual products and ingredient lists.

Kako izbjeći konzerviranu hranu prepunu natrija i šećera

Some of the negative stigma about canned goods undoubtedly comes from the textures and tastes of certain canned fruits and vegetables — and how different they are from the fresh versions. After all, how could a canned beet have the same nutrients as a fresh one when they taste so different?

In reality, the canning process is designed to preserve as many nutrients as possible (via How Stuff Works). "Fresh fruits and vegetables are harvested at the peak of ripeness and canned within only four hours, sealing in their nutrition and flavor," noted Sherrie Rosenblatt, a vice president with the Can Manufacturers Institute. So, while the pressure cooking does destroy some water-soluble nutrients, fat-soluble ones like vitamins A, D, E, and K are able to survive being canned, as are most minerals. This makes canned produce a cheap and convenient source of essential nutrients for areas with limited agricultural resources or individuals on a tight budget (via Healthline). 

Ono što konzerviranu stvar može učiniti nezdravom jesu dodani sastojci, točnije sol i šećer koji se koriste za poboljšanje okusa. Iz tog razloga izbjegavajte hranu konzerviranu u sirupima ili salamuri, koji su prepuni viška šećera, odnosno natrija, te umjesto toga birajte limenke s kratkim popisima sastojaka i stavke konzervirane u vodi ili vlastitim sokovima (preko Insidera). I ne zaboravite ocijediti i isprati svoju konzerviranu hranu prije kuhanja ili posluživanja kako biste uklonili višak soli, šećera ili konzervansa.

Zašto se možete prestati brinuti o konzerviranoj hrani i BPA

If you're already looking at the ingredient lists on your cans to scope out the healthiest options, there's one more additive you might be watching out for: BPA. Bisphenol A, or BPA, was used on the lining of food cans to prevent bacterial growth and keep the can itself from corroding over time (via CEN). Unfortunately, studies showed that the BPA on cans was able to contaminate the food it touched (via Healthline). Once in the body, BPA acts as an artificial estrogen and messes with the hormones; too much can lead to developmental and reproductive issues and even damage your DNA (via Insider). 

No, prije nego što poludite i počnete prazniti svoju smočnicu od bilo koje konzervirane robe, važno je napomenuti da od početka 2018. 90 posto konzervi koje se koriste za hranu više ne sadrži BPA, prema Institutu za proizvođače konzervi. Sada je većina obloga limenki izrađena od akrila i poliestera. Ali ako ste još uvijek zabrinuti zbog zaostalih 10 posto, uvijek možete provjeriti limenku da se uvjerite (putem Well and Good). Sretno skeniranje limenki!