5 of the best TINNED FOODS

it’S more than 130 years since heinz hit the shelves — and a tin of beans counts as one of your five-a-day. We asked dietitian HELEN BOND to recommend five of the best foods in a can.

SARDINES

EXAMPLE: Sainsbury’s Sardines in Water. Per 120g can: calories, 175; saturated fat, 3.1g; protein, 19.2g; fibre, trace; sugar, trace; salt, 0.34g THE bones in canned sardines are partially dissolved, releasing more minerals than fresh sardines.

A small can supplies more than three-quarters of the daily requirement of bone-building calcium, along with 3mcg of vitamin D — nearly a third of your recommended daily amount (RDA). Gram for gram, sardines also have as much iron as beef. Plus, a can has 2.9g of hearthealthy omega-3 fats — almost all the weekly recommended intake.

RATATOUILLE

EXAMPLE: Sainsbury’s ratatouille Provençale. Per half a 390g can: calories, 100; saturated fat, 0.6g; protein, 2g; fibre, 4.9g; sugar, 7.8g; salt, 1.07g RATATOUILLE (tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, peppers and onions) has two of your five-a-day in half a can. Canned tomatoes are a good source of lycopene — an antioxidant that’s been associated with lower stroke risk, improved heart health and protection against some cancers.

SWEETCORN

EXAMPLE: tesco Sweetcorn in Water. half a 200g can: calories, 65; saturated fat, 0.3g; protein, 2.3g; fibre, 2.3g; sugar, 5.5g; salt, trace CANNED corn has a lot more vitamin C than boiled ‘fresh’ corn because it tends to be canned as soon as it’s picked, whereas cobs sold whole may hang around for longer. Boiling a cob leaches a lot of what’s left. It’s also a source of sight-protecting lutein and zeaxanthin, more easily absorbed when the kernels have been softened through canning.

ARTICHOKES

EXAMPLE: Sainsbury’s artichoke halves in Water. half a 400g can: calories, 41; saturated fat, 0.1g; protein, 2.3g; fibre, 4.1g; sugar, 0.5g; salt, 0.12g HALF a can (approx. two hearts) supplies an impressive 142mcg — more than 70 per cent of the RDA of folate, which helps make healthy red blood cells. This serving also supplies 10 per cent of the RDA of magnesium, for nerve and muscle function.

VEGAN CHILLI

EXAMPLE: tesco Vegetable chilli. half a 400g can: calories, 136; saturated fat, 0.4g; protein, 5.6g; fibre, 5.2g; sugar, 6.2g; salt, 1.8g THIS meat-free chilli contains red peppers, onions and tomatoes mixed with red kidney, pinto and black turtle beans. Half a can counts as one of your five-a-day and supplies more than a sixth of daily fibre. Eat with sweet potato for an extra portion of veg and add tofu to boost the protein level.