Why Canned Food Is Great | Home Tips Plus

Chances are, you remember your mom rummaging through the pantry to find just the “right” canned food to go with dinner. As an adult, maybe you tend to veer away from canned foods and instead opt for previously prepared meals or take out. While canned food may seem bland or uninteresting, the truth is that there are actually many benefits to using canned food in your every day meal planning.

One of the most essential perks to using canned food is its availability. You can purchase canned food at any grocery store and, in most areas, at gas stations. If you need a specific type of canned food, it is almost always readily available at all supermarkets, so you don’t need to fret or worry about going to a specific store to find the food you need. For example, you can purchase different brands of green beans at not only grocery stores, but chain retail stores such as Wal-Mart or Target.

Another fantastic reason to use canned food is that it stores easily. If you aren’t sure when you’re going to need that can of tomatoes but want it on hand for when you do, a can of food will keep on your pantry shelves for six to 18 months. Certain canned foods will last even longer than this. While fresh food is often preferable to some individuals, fresh food can go back quickly if not used within a few days of purchase. If something comes up unexpectedly and you aren’t able to prepare the meal you originally planned, your canned food will be waiting for you when you’re finally ready to use it.

If you live in an area where the electricity tends to flutter on and off, canned food can ensure that you still eat relatively healthy meals even without a microwave or oven to cook on. If you have a gas stove, you can easily heat canned food on your stove top despite a power outage. Canned food can also be eaten cold. Although this might not taste as delicious as hot foot, most canned foods are still safe to consume without being heated. Just make sure that you have a non-electric can opener to use.

Finally, canned food tends to be less costly than many prepackaged foods. A can of chili, for example, tends to be around $2.00 if you purchase it in the store. If you bought all of the individual ingredients for chili, you might spend over $10.00 and not use all of the food. In addition to its already-low cost, canned food tends to be very easy to find coupons for. Many grocery stores carry in-store coupons to use for canned foods and some grocery stores even double the value of your canned food coupon on certain days.