Canned Leafy Greens Are Convenient But Are They Really Worth It?

You may be familiar with the numerous potential benefits of dark leafy greens, such as lower inflammation; improved immunity; enhanced bone, gut, and skin health; and a lower risk of high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and anemia. However, think twice before buying canned varieties. They may not taste quite as great as the alternative — spinach, kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, and other nutrient-dense leafy greens — in their fresh forms.

Canned spinach and other canned greens offer many of the same benefits as fresh greens. They're packed with essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, and vitamins A, B, C, E, and K. Canned greens are usually cost-friendly and convenient. They have a long shelf-life (up to five years), are pre-washed, and require little to no prep time. Adding them to your favorite recipe enhances its nutritional value, but there's a catch.

Canned greens are on a chef's list of canned foods to avoid. They aren't as tasty as fresh greens and could contain fewer essential nutrients because the canning process often uses heat, which reduces some vitamin C content (per the BBC). Lastly, canned greens lose almost all of their texture, and cooking them further just exacerbates the issues at hand — it makes them soggier, softer, and just less pleasant overall. Canned leafy greens are good in a pinch to get some extra nutrients in your diet — but choose fresh or even frozen greens for optimal texture and taste.

There are some things to keep in mind when swapping out fresh greens for canned. When using canned leafy greens instead of fresh, completely drain the greens to eliminate any extra moisture before adding them to cooked ingredients. Toss them in at the last minute (just enough to warm through) rather than re-cook canned greens to minimize sogginess. Lastly, divide the amount called for in your recipe by four because one cup of raw greens equals about a quarter cup of cooked greens.

You can improve the flavor of canned greens as well. Upgrade canned collard greens with your favorite meats, broths, cheeses, seasonings, or sauces, or add flavor-enhancing ingredients to canned spinach as a quick and easy side dish. And don't be scared to try cooked leafy greens in a modified version of greens shakshuka when you're tight on time. Do so by simply adding the canned greens (use a fourth of the amount called for in the recipe) right before you add the eggs.