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Living in the time of coronavirus is a frightening thing. People are practicing social distancing, supermarket shelves are picked bare and the borders to the country are closed, but that doesn’t mean we should all throw common sense out the window. While it is wise to have enough food in your pantry to see you through a 14-day quarantine, should you become infected, it’s also important not to buy into the panic and hoard months’ worth of food and products at home.
Instead, pick up a couple extra non-perishable food items in your next shop, such as canned foods, so you have back up rations in case you need to self-isolate – but be sure to leave enough for the next shopper.
In fact, the Dietitians Association of Australia says that while fresh food is great, frozen and canned foods are good alternatives, as they are equally nutritious, convenient and have long shelf lives if stored correctly.
The best canned foods to buy right now
Soup
Looks for soups that have 120mg of salt per 100g or less.
Canned foods high in protein
Tinned fish such as tuna, sardines, salmon and mackerel are a good source of protein.
Plant-based options
Legumes, lentils and chickpeas with no added salt are a good canned option for vegans looking to increase their protein intake.
Look for nutrient-rich canned goods
When heated, canned tomatoes actually increase in vitamins and antioxidants, Legumes are high in fibre and corn, beans and lentils tend to hold their nutrients well when canned.
Foods that taste better canned
If you’re looking for foods that taste good even when canned, then you can’t go wrong with baby corn, corn kernels, beetroot, tomatoes, baked beans, peaches, pears and apricots.
How to pick canned food
The Dietitians Association of Australia advises shoppers to keep an eye out for the salt and sugar content in canned items by checking the food label. Choose canned vegetables without added salt and canned fruits in natural juice rather than syrup. Avoid salt and sugar.
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13 foods you didn’t know you could freeze
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