Are Canned Vegetables Healthy?

Canned vegetables tend to get a bad rap. And while there is nothing like eating farmers' market–fresh veggies, there is definitely a time and a place for canned vegetables. It's an easy way to increase your vegetable intake, and canned veggies can be a real dinner-saver when fresh versions of your favorites might be too expensive or unavailable. Plus, canned veggies keep in your pantry for months so you won't waste money on a bunch of green beans that go bad before you get to eat them.

To give you the best canned veggie experience, we taste-tested canned vegetables so you don't have to. The results? We were surprised by how delicious they can be. These are our top 5 favorites to keep on hand for a fast veggie fix at dinnertime.

Read More: Is Canned Food Healthy?

1. Corn

Pictured Recipe: Stetson Chopped Salad

The resounding favorite, these canned golden kernels taste as sweet as candy but pack in way more nutrients without any added sugar. We're ready to throw them on tacos and add them to casseroles, salsas and salads. And though corn is sweet, it has a moderate glycemic index, meaning its carbs are released more slowly into your bloodstream and are unlikely to spike blood sugar levels, especially as part of a meal.

2. Tomatoes

Pictured Recipe: Lasagna Soup

With whole, diced, crushed and flavored tomatoes all available in cans, you can find a canned tomato for all your tomato needs. Keep canned tomatoes on hand to make quick sauces, add to pasta dishes, and make easy soups. Lycopene, found in fresh tomatoes and even more in cooked tomatoes, helps protect your skin from damaging UV rays and may reduce your risk of some cancers.

3. Carrots

Pictured Recipe: Carrot Soup

Maybe the most surprising on this list were these sweet little carrot discs. We would use them straight out of the can on a salad in a pinch, but they're also good for bulking up soups—whole or pureed—and adding to casseroles like chicken pot pie.

4. Green Beans

Pictured Recipe: Slow-Cooker Vegetable Soup

They're a good pantry staple to have on hand, even if canned green beans aren't your favorite of all canned veg. You can't go wrong adding them to a soup—especially when fresh green beans aren't so fresh—and they're a classic star in green bean casserole. Green beans are a good source of silicon, a mineral that's critical for strong bones.

5. Peas

Pictured Recipe: Pineapple Pork Fried Rice

Peas in a can aren't our first choice, but that doesn't mean they're off-limits. During the off-season, canned peas are great to have on hand for packing veg into mac and cheese, carbonara or stir-fries when you can't get fresh. Canned peas are a key source of filling fiber and plant protein, with about 4 grams of each per 1/2 cup, per the USDA.