Doctor Bon

Nowadays, people barely have time to prepare home cooked meals from fresh meat, fruits and vegetables available in the market. With today’s fast and busy way of life, it is much easier to stock canned goods and processed vacuum sealed meat and fish from the local grocery store next door. These are easy to get, simple to prepare or cook and some are even ready to eat. But are these foods good for you? If all you can eat most of the time are these groceries, are you getting enough nutrients in your body to manage your weight and more importantly your overall health?

The answer is “Yes”. The key is making sure that you get the required energy, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals needed in the body. All of these can easily be found in canned goods and processed meat and fish in the grocery store, just as they are found in fresh fruits, vegetables and meat products. Contrary to popular belief, sometimes, canned goods even have a higher nutritional value than cooked fresh fruits, vegetables and meat., plus the added convenience of faster preparation time.

If you are trying to lose weight while maintaining a healthy body, the low-carb diet is your best choice. Here is a guideline on what canned goods and processed food to choose and what to generally avoid.

What to choose:

• Canned seafood (tuna, salmon, crab)
• Sardines
• Canned tomatoes
• Salsas
• Pasta sauce or tomato sauce with no added sugars
• Canned green chilies
• Tomato paste
• Pumpkin
• Roasted red peppers (rinse if there is sugar in the ingredients)
• Dried tomatoes in oil (a little adds lots of flavor)
• Chicken and/or vegetable stock
• Artichoke hearts
• Jars of pesto or other vegetable-based sauces
• Other canned low-carb vegetables, if you like them
• Dill pickles
• Italian pickled vegetables
• Anchovies
• Nut butters (natural, unsweetened)
• Coconut milk
• Canned black soy beans (taste like black beans, but lower carb)
• Other canned beans, depending on your individual diet
• Low-carb fruit, such as Carb Clever peaches, at 6 grams per serving
• Sugar-free sweet pickles, such as Mt. Olive Brand

What to avoid:

• canned soups – almost all of them are high carb
• Canned fruits – unless specially packed to be low carb
• Anything with pasta, starch, or added sugars
• Sugar-sweetened beverages such as hot cocoa mix, flavored coffee powders or Kool-Aid
• Cereals that aren’t especially formulated to be low-carb
• Snack foods such as chips, crackers, granola bars or rice cakes
• Candy

Go ahead, pop open that can and cook that vacuum sealed meat and fish. Just try to remember these guidelines and you’ll be on your way to an overall healthier, sexier you.