Compare and Contrast Fresh Foods vs. Canned Foods Essay

Eating is something us as humans do everyday. We live in a world where it is important to eat. We choose what we are going to eat, and what we eat affects our bodies. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast the differences between eating fresh foods instead of canned foods. The main differences between both are flavor, health benefits, cost, accessibility. The differences between these two kinds of foods are their flavor. Fresh foods have that great flavor and taste because they keep all their natural conditions, where as canned foods lack of its flavor because of their chemical processes that are added to the natural foods. It is known that the fresh foods will have a great taste and flavor when consumed because of the time in which they have been prepared. Most canned foods are now available in low-salt, no-salt, low-sugar, and no-sugar preparations for those with special dietary needs or for those who want more of a natural flavor. It’s also a way to have a similar taste of fresh foods. Many doctors say that eating fresh foods are the best, followed by frozen, and then canned foods. Canned foods are last because of the heat involved in the processing process. Canned foods lose some of the original fresh food nutrients when stored, and also be tinned with many chemical factors that prolong the shelf life and apparent freshness of the food but could also become toxic if consumed too much. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans show that individuals eating diets higher in fresh foods have a lower risk of chronic disease. Another difference is that fresh food provides all the fiber, vitamins and minerals that are needed for your body to function normal. Fresh foods in grocery stores are picked before being fully ripened so that it will stay firm during its shipment. With canned foods, they are often left to fully ripen before harvesting, resulting in a higher nutritional value of the ripe produce before canning, however since this process method involves lots of process, some nutrients, such as vitamins B and C go down and the relative levels decrease resulting in having lots of sodium. Canned foods have more of sodium adding to them than fresh food. Too much sodium in the diet contributes to increased blood pressure, a risk factor that could lead to lots of chronic conditions. Fresh foods have almost no sodium in them because they don’t get processed the way can foods do. There are thousands of canned food products that are available in every state, lending convenience to those with a very busy lifestyle. The sodium content in commercially canned foods has been significantly reduced, up to 40% over old canning methods. After talking about the three differences between buying fresh foods and buying canned foods. In the end, it comes down to a your personal choice, based on the time each person has, amount of money he/she has to spend on food. Therefore it is important that you consider your possibilities and chooses the best type of foods for your lifestyle. But, of course, fresh foods straight from the garden or farm will always remain the healthiest and have the most nutrition. But for those we don’t have time to grow and produce fresh fruits and vegetables, canned products may be worth considering. http://www.livestrong.com/article/260270-nutrition-differences-canned-foods-vs-fresh-produce/