Canned foods can be scary!

What a trooper Mark was during his first day of the “Food Desert Diet.”  I’m not sure I would have had the same motivation he did to trample out in the snow again and revisit the convenience store after having forgotten my wallet at home!  So, kudos Mark, for sticking with the challenge even in the snowy desert of New Hampshire.  Bet you wish you were in Texas now!?! : )

Not bad for the first day.  At least Mark was able to find some nutrient dense foods at Dover Discount.  His meals were a bit pricey, though.  $4.80 for a dozen (non-organic) eggs!  Yikes!  I’m wondering if there was any fresh produce available?  I’m sure Mark would have chosen fresh over canned if it was available, so I’m assuming it wasn’t.  Speaking of canned goods, why are they not the most preferred from a health perspective? 

Well, there are a couple reasons.  First off, canned foods contain preservatives, primarily sodium.  Keeping sodium intake in check during this next 30 days will definitely be a challenge for Mark.  From a health perspective, excessive intake of sodium is linked to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.  Food manufacturers realize this is a concern for many consumers and have developed processed foods with lower sodium content, but it is extremely difficult to reduce the sodium to zero without compromising the quality of the product.  Rinsing the food prior to consumption is a good method to reduce sodium, as Mark did.  Another “trick” is to soak the product in water for a couple hours prior to consumption, and then rinse.  The water bath may be enough to reduce the sodium even further.  In addition to sodium there are many other preservatives used in canned foods to keep them fresh.  Addition of preservatives takes the food even further away from its natural state, thus decreasing its overall nutritional quality. 

Another good reason to limit intake of canned foods is that most cans contain BPA (bisphenol), which is a component in the plastic lining inside the can.  BPA has been linked to increased risk health concerns such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.  Alternatives to canned foods are those packed in either plastic or glass.  Plastic still contains BPA, however, so glass is preferred over both canned and plastic.  Avoiding BPA exposure may present another challenge for Mark in the convenience store setting.  At least his exposure would be limited to only 30 days during this experiment.  But, imagine those individuals who have to subsist daily on canned or plastic packaged foods because that’s all that is available in their food deserts.

Finally, Mark mentioned high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as was the third ingredient in the tomato sauce he purchased.  As you may be aware, food ingredients are listed on the label in the order of their content in foods, with highest ingredient listed first.  So, just what is HFCS, and why the concern?  HFCS is a sweetener made from cornstarch.  It contains 55% fructose and 45% glucose, and is therefore as sweet in taste as sucrose or honey.  Historically, the U.S. Government has subsidized the corn industry, making HFCS as cheaper alternative to cane sugar.  It has, therefore, been adopted by many food manufacturers as an added sweetener for processed foods and beverages.  As we have seen childhood obesity rates in the U.S. climb to epic proportions, HFCS has taken some heat in the spotlight.  Reality is, there is little evidence showing HFCS is any different than sucrose or other nutritive sweeteners with regard to weight gain.  The fact that a product contains added sugar, whether HFCS or some other type, is perhaps more of a concern in relation to weight gain than the type of sweetener.  Give your food label a good check before you purchase or consume to the food inside to check for HFCS.  I bet you’ll find it in foods you didn’t even think contained a sweetener……such as bread!