Mida kõik konservide osas eksivad

Konservid saavad päris halva räpi. Tõenäoliselt olete kuulnud või lugenud, et konservid ei ole nii toitvad kui värsked või külmutatud toidud, et need on alati täis liigset naatriumi või suhkrut või isegi seda, et purgid ise on vooderdatud kahjulike kemikaalidega. Tõde (nagu tavaliselt) on palju keerulisem.

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.

Kuidas vältida naatriumi ja suhkruga pakitud konserve

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). 

Mis võib konserveeritud eseme tõesti ebatervislikuks muuta, on lisatud koostisosad, täpsemalt maitse parandamiseks kasutatav sool ja suhkur. Sel põhjusel vältige siirupites või soolvees konserveeritud toite, mis on pakitud vastavalt liigsele suhkrule ja naatriumile, ning valige selle asemel lühikese koostisosade loeteluga purgid ja vees või omas mahlas konserveeritud tooted (Insideri kaudu). Ärge unustage enne toiduvalmistamist või serveerimist oma konserve nõrutada ja loputada, et eemaldada liigne sool, suhkur või säilitusained.

Miks võite lõpetada muretsemise konservide ja BPA pärast?

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). 

Kuid enne, kui hakkate oma sahvrit kõigist konservidest tühjendama, on oluline märkida, et konservitootjate instituudi andmetel ei sisalda 2018. aasta algusest 90 protsenti toiduks kasutatud purkidest enam BPA-d. Nüüd on enamik purkide vooderdusi valmistatud akrüülist ja polüestrist. Kuid kui olete endiselt mures 10 protsendi pärast, saate alati kontrollida purki, et veenduda (Well and Good kaudu). Head purki skannimist!