This post has been updated since its initial 02/18/22 publish date to include more expert insight.
Canned food is so convenient- from its quick and easy preparation to its often affordable pricing. If you're trying to lose weight, however, one type of canned food (that is undeniably delicious but heavily sugared) could be setting you back, health experts explain. We spoke with Lisa Richards, nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet and Susan Kelly, registered dietitian and nutritionist at Pacific Analytics to learn more about how this specific canned food can deter your weight loss journey if consumed often, and why replacing it with fresher (non-syrup-y) options will help your health immensely.
Canned foods can help provide an affordable way to add fruit and vegetables to your diet, but there are a few nutrients and ingredients to watch out for- including sugar, sodium, and syrups.
Richards notes that many manufacturers "will pack their canned fruit products with syrup" rather than the fruit's natural juice. This is a way to enhance the product's flavor and shelf life, she explains, but unfortunately, "this will increase the calories and added sugar content drastically."
Kelly agrees, noting that canned fruits are "not as healthy" as many people consider them to be. "They can even increase inflammation and cause poor gut health apart from negatively affecting weight loss," she says. She stresses, like Richards, that canned fruits are usually packaged in syrups loaded with sugar- "and hence have tons of calories." Yikes!
If you don't have time to prepare a meal with fresh fruit or if you still want to eat canned fruit, Richards suggests looking out for specific kinds. "It is best to avoid canned fruit that has been canned in syrups," she says.
Instead, she suggests to "opt for versions that state they have been canned in 100% juice." Richards notes that this will ensure you are taking in only natural sugar (and not added sugar along with its host of negative health effects!)