Best Emergency Food Supply - Healthier Steps

Is canned food a good option for a vegan to survive an emergency? The answer to this question is yes! See what is the best emergency food supply ahead.

I’m sure you have experienced how it is challenging to get vegan food while you are traveling to other countries because every country has its own lifestyle and food. Most countries usually offer non-veg foods, like meat products, seafood, etc. As a vegetarian, it’s hard to get food for yourself.

Additionally, people are much busier than before. For this reason, many people don’t get time to make their food. Because of their busy routine, they do not eat healthy and well. Vegetarians especially need to make an extra effort to find vegetarian food and cook for themselves.

Are you worried about your food? Don’t stress. You can keep the vegan canned food with you. There is a variety of canned food available for vegans, and you can keep this tin-packed food in your bag.

This article will tell you what canned food you can keep with yourself as a vegan.

Also, see How To Cook Canned Beans, Vegan Pantry Staples, and 11 Healthy Snacks To Carry When Traveling.

Is canned food healthy?

People usually argue on the topic of canned food safety. In older times, there was a myth that canned foods were not nutritious but scientific studies denied this concept. According to multiple studies, canned foods are safe and nutritious as fresh food.

According to scientists, canning preserves food nutrients. The canning process does not affect food nutrients; the protein, carbohydrates, and fat levels remain the same as the fresh food. It doesn’t cause any changes to vitamin and mineral quantity and quality of food

So people can get enough vitamins and minerals from canned food.

A study claimed that few food items’ nutritional values increase when we do canning of them.

According to a study, they release more antioxidants when we heat tomatoes and corn. So it’s best to use canned tomatoes.

Another study on the two groups of people showed that people who consume more than 6 days of canned food have high nutrient levels as compared to those who eat just 2 days of canned food. Read More.

Best emergency food supply for vegans:

There is a huge variety of canned food available for vegans, and you can survive on this canned food easily.

Here are the top vegan canned food options mentioned below:

Beans:

The favorite food of vegans is beans because these are a great source of protein. The beans are a major source of protein and energy for vegetarians. The canned beans are mostly high in protein but low in fat, and the fiber content is high in canned beans. According to studies, fiber-rich helps to eliminate the risk of various diseases.

In addition, canned beans provide energy and keep your stomach full for a longer time.

According to the American heart association, always take unsalted canned beans because these are healthy for heart and hypertension. If you take salted canned beans, it will cause health issues like high blood pressure, kidney, and heart diseases.

Here are a few canned beans which you should take

Black beans
Red beans
Pinto beans
Lima beans
Lentils
Baked Beans
Kidney beans,
Split peas
Black-eyed peas
Chickpeas
Navy beans
Great northern beans
Butter beans
Cannellini beans
Field peas
Pigeon peas
Refried beans
Boiled peanuts

Diced tomato:

Diced tomatoes are good for the health of vegans. These canned tomatoes are used in different recipes. According to a few studies, tomatoes are high in lycopene, carotenoid antioxidants with health benefits. But the content of lycopene is high In canned food as compared to fresh ones.

Vegetarians can use canned diced tomato in various dishes such as pizza, soup, pasta, lasagna, etc.

Other canned tomato products are tomato puree, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes in oil, whole peeled tomatoes.

Coconut milk:

Coconut milk is low-fat milk more than regular milk, and this is dairy-free, so the vegans can easily drink this milk and can use it in their recipes as a replacement for cow milk.

This milk is obtained from coconut, which has many health benefits, so vegetarians can benefit from coconut milk.

People use coconut milk in different vegetarian recipes like smoothies, soup, dips, sauces, cream, etc.

Canned vegetables:

Canning foods preserve the nutrients, therefore canned foods may be as nutritious as fresh foods. Therefore having canned vegetables on hand in the event of hardship is a great way to ensure that you are consuming lots of vitamins and minerals.

Canned vegetables are usually processed within hours from the time they were first picked, this ensures that the vegetables retain maximum nutrients as possible. Fresh vegetables that are found in major supermarkets on the other hand may take weeks before they appear there, they might have been packaged on one side of the country weeks ago.

Here are some popular canned vegetables:

Green beans
Beets
Corn kernels
Water chestnut
Hearts of palm
Bamboo shoot
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Carrots,
Olives
Capers
Sweet peas
Artichoke hearts
Mushrooms
Spinach

Baby corns

The baby corn is available in cans, and their taste is just like the fresh one, even better than a fresh one. Baby corn is less starch food and a good option for vegans. A fat-free product and low in calories too.

The vegetarian can use these canned baby corn as a snack or on top of different salads and soups.

Olives

Canned olives are rich in healthy nutrients, and it enhances the taste of numerous food items. According to a report, 100 grams of canned olives contain 7 percent DV calcium, 35 percent DV for iron, and 11 percent DV Vitamins. The canned olive has a high amount of sodium which is good for health.

In addition, all these nutrients help you to avoid different diseases. Vegans can use these olives in a salad, topping of pizza, and a few other things.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin puree, sweet potato, and butternut squash puree are seasonal produce, but you don’t have to wait for it because they are available in canned form. As a vegan, you can pumpkins any time.

According to the source, one cup of canned pumpkin contains 45 percent D, magnesium, 10 percent fibers, Vitamin a, and vitamins c.

You can add canned pumpkin, sweet potato, butternut squash puree in smoothies, soups, stews, salad, dessert, etc.

Canned fruits

The canned fruits are easily available، you don’t have to wait for the season of fruit to enjoy. For example, vegans can enjoy strawberries because canned strawberries are easily available in the market. Other canned fruits are:

Pineapple
Peaches
Apricot
Mango
Pear
Papaya
Grape
CherriesT
Mandarin orange
Ackee
Jackfruit
Blueberries
Lychee

Canned soup

Are you a soup lover? Then canned soup for vegetarians is available. These soups are made up of vegetables and beans, so canned soup and bean chilis are good for vegans, since they do not include meat. You can also purchase vegetable broth, or stock to use as a base for your soups. Also, you can add canned tomatoes, dehydrated or canned vegetables, pasta, rice, and seasoning to make a delicious soup.

Apple sauce

Applesauce is one of the best-canned foods you can easily get from the market. The apple sauce is 100 percent vegan and includes antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. Vegan people can easily consume apple sauce and store this smooth for longer periods, like up to 1 year.

Other miscellaneous canned foods:

Nut butter – peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, macadamia butter
Seed butter – tahini paste, sunflower seed butter
Pie filling
Jams, jellies, preserves
Dolmas

Below are some supplies that are great for long-term storage.

Other Foods To Stock Up On

Gluten-Free Vegan Shopping List
Dried Beans
Grains – rice, corn, oats, sorghum, quinoa, millet, teff, fonio
Quinoa
Pet foods, dog food, cat food, fish food, or other pet foods
Water
Popcorn
Sugar
Vanilla Extract
Potato Flakes
Vegan canned veggie meat
Soy Curls
Yeast
Baking Powder
Corn Starch
Dry Pasta – put in Mylar Bags, oxygen absorbers, and vacuum seal.
Soy sauce – place in a cool dark cupboard
Canned coconut oil, Olive Oil
Powdered Bouillon
Spices and Seasonings
Salt

Supplies To Have

Can opener
Water filter
Toilet paper
Soap
Feminine products
Toothpaste
Prescription medication – and over the counter medications
Supplements
Baking Soda
Vinegar

Benefits of canned food

There are a lot of benefits of using canned food. A few pros of canned foods are mentioned below.

Budget-friendly:

Canned foods are budget-friendly. You can buy your favorite food item at a low price, and you can buy it from the supermarket or online. This food doesn’t spoil easily so you can use it for a long time and your money will not be wasted.

More convenient:

Canned food is more convenient because people are busy, that’s why they can’t get fresh food and can’t cook. They need something quick because they don’t have time. According to a report, 9 out of 10 people are nutrient deficient due to their busy routine and poor diet. But now, they can use canned food to get all healthy nutrients, and they can use canned fruit and salad to prevent any deficiency.

Additionally, if you have guests and you have a short time cooking for your vegan guest, you can use your canned food because it will take you a short time to prepare a good meal for them.

Nutrient-rich:

Canned foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, and other healthy oxidant. You can lower the risk of Vitamin and mineral deficiency. Because canned food is prepared in a specific process in which they preserve its nutrients of it. Even this process aid the food to start to form nutrients and antioxidants, which are good for health.

Prevent diseases:

As you know, canned food contains healthy nutrients which help to prevent various diseases. These foods are rich in antioxidants that fight against the free radicals, which are the cause of diseases. Different studies showed that the daily use of canned food lowers the risk of getting different illnesses.

Sustainable food:

Canned foods are sustainable; you can keep this food for many years. Instead, the fresh food items just last for a few days. But you can use the canned food for a long time because the canned food does not spoil in days or months.

You can purchase the canned food in bulk; you can use it any time without thinking about the wastage of food.

Easy to carry:

The major benefit of canned food is that you can carry this food with you anywhere. Especially when you are traveling, you can easily keep the tin of canned food in your bag. You don’t need to search for food in any place, and you can make delicious dishes with your canned food. The smart canned food will occupy a small space, and you can enjoy your brand canned food at any place.

How to choose canned food?

Choosing canned food is not as easy as it seems because you have to choose the right product. After all, it is related to your health. There are a few tips and suggestions for choosing the best-canned food

Look for the brand:

As you know, there are a great number of food brands and companies. A lot of people just do scams too and provide low-quality stuff. That’s why it’s important to choose the best brand or company for avoiding any scam. Various famous food brands or companies have a huge variety of canned food for vegans. So always buy a product from a famous brand or trusted store.

See the packaging:

Before picking any canned food, look at the packing of products, especially when you are trying to buy something for eating. If packing is good،, that’s means the product is contamination free.

Don’t pick a can with a dent because various experts say that there is a chance that you become contaminated because of this dent. Additionally, the dented cans are not long-lasting. These cans can burst any time, anywhere, so pick a perfect piece

Check the expiration date:

All canned products have their own expiry date, which means you should not use the canned food after the expiry date. So choose is a product whose expiry date should be too close because you can’t keep it for a long time.

That’s why I always. Check this expiry date before putting them into your cart

Keep them in a cool place:

for storing the canned foods for a longer time, you have to keep them in a cool place. It doesn’t mean you have to put it in the refrigerator. I can keep them safe at room temperature. But avoid putting them below 18 degrees.

Moreover, few canned foods need to be in the refrigerator, otherwise, these foods start spoiling.

Every canned food has written instructions about storing them, so read them and store them for a longer time.

Conclusion:

Canned food is the healthiest and safe to use. These foods have health benefits such as preventing diabetes and lowering blood pressure. These foods contain antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fibers. So if you are vegan/vegetarian and looking for easy-to-cook food, enjoy canned vegan food. You can buy canned food from the supermarket or online store.