Canned Vegetables

Minerals survive canning largely intact, but vitamins and phytonutrients do not. Eating raw vegetables preserves enzymes, vitamins, and antioxidants in full, while lightly steamed vegetables are a preferable alternative to canned. Canning heats food to 240–250°F, killing all enzymes and sterilizing the product. Vitamins A, C, and B1 (thiamine) are greatly reduced in quantity and bioavailability by the canning process. Antioxidant compounds are degraded by the heat used in canning. Canned vegetables provide carbohydrates and fiber but are largely stripped of the micronutrients that make vegetables valuable.