Eight canned foods to keep on hand

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Canned foods are often budget friendly and can be just as nutritious as fresh foods. They can help you prepare meals quickly, as they are:

Stock your pantry when they’re on sale to save money! Also, remember to use food labels to choose items that have little to no added sodium or sugar.

Black, red or white kidney beans

Beans are practical and can be added to various meals.

Rinse before adding them to different dishes, like salads, stews or soups.

Chickpeas

Chickpeas are delicious in salads, curries or couscous.

You can also use them to make hummus dip or “meatballs”.

Lentils

Lentils can replace ground meat in most dishes. Try making recipes half-and-half with ground meat, like shepherd’s pie.

Tomatoes

Crushed, diced or whole, canned tomatoes are useful for making a quick tomato sauce, like Bolognese or in Shakshouka.

Fish
Canned fish, like tuna, sardines and salmon, are protein foods that are practical for lunch in salads or sandwiches.

If you choose canned tuna, opt for light tuna. It contains less mercury.

Kernel corn, peas, and green beans
Canned vegetables can replace fresh ones in many recipes. You can:

Tomato paste
Tomato paste is made from tomatoes that have been cooked for a long time. Its flavour is more pronounced.

Use it to make pizza sauce or to enhance the tomato flavour in recipes, like chili.

Lower sodium broth
Vegetable, chicken or beef broth is a basic ingredient in many recipes like stews, soups or rice dishes.

Make it yourself or buy it in cans to save time. If you buy it, choose a lower sodium option.