Seven canned foods under $3 that a dietitian always has in her trolley

With the cost of living soaring, it’s not always possible, or practical, to pay premium prices for fresh, nutritious ingredients. The good news is some canned foods are just as good for you, while also being affordable and in no danger of going off before you get around to eating them.

Here are seven canned foods worth making permanent space for in your pantry.

Beetroot

Extremely nutrient rich, beetroot’s bright colour gives some insight into its high antioxidant content. The in-the-can processing technique means that most, if not all, the natural nutrition in the beetroot is maintained.

Beetroot is also exceptionally rich in nitrate, which converts into nitric oxide, a molecule that helps to improve blood flow, and may help to lower blood pressure.

Tomatoes

Canned tomatoes are especially good for us because cooked tomatoes are higher in the powerful antioxidant lycopene, which has a number of health-related benefits, especially for men.

While there is some added salt in canned tomatoes, the amounts are relatively small so are nothing to be concerned about.

It’s worth paying a little extra for options that have upwards of 65 per cent tomatoes. Nutritionally, they are much higher in key nutrients, as well as flavour for cooking as they have much less water that dilutes the natural tomato juice. Some of the cheaper varieties to avoid are less than 50 per cent tomatoes.

Eat them in: Pasta sauces, on pizza bases and in soups, curries and sauces.

Legumes

Perhaps the most versatile and cost-effective form of plant-based protein you can find, legumes of all types are a rich natural source of dietary fibre and protein, and are some of the most satiating foods we can consume.

You can use lentils when making a curry, blend up beans as a base for burgers or adding your favourite varieties to salads, pasta sauces or soups.

It also makes financial sense to add nutrient-rich legumes, which sell for as little as $1 a can, to a wider variety of dishes daily to reduce your spending on protein.

All canned legumes offer 60 per cent beans per can. If you are sensitive to their high amount of dietary fibre, cooking the beans can often improve their digestibility.

Eat them in: Mexican bowls, poke bowls, soups, curries, salads and more.

Salmon

All canned fish is a good option nutritionally and an extremely cost-effective way to add more seafood to the diet.

While canned tuna is a common go-to, some options offer only 40-50 per cent tuna in the can. Canned salmon, on the other hand, is a much richer source of omega-3 fats, and there tend to be fewer additives, so you get more than 90 per cent fish.

Corn

Any vegetable is a good option nutritionally, and corn goes to top of the list for canned foods to keep on hand because of its versatility.

Corn is a high-fibre, low-GI, slowly digested carbohydrate that costs as little as $1 a can. Sprinkle it into everything.

Eat it in: Corn fritters, like these zucchini and corn fritters, pictured, or added to salads, soups, sandwiches and Mexican dishes.

Soup

While canned soups do tend to have higher amounts of added salt than fresh options, this doesn’t make them all bad.

The key thing is to seek out varieties that have a high percentage of vegetables, and ideally less than 600mg of sodium per serve.

Canned soup can also be a handy meal base for mixed dishes such as casseroles, and can put a nutritious meal on the table for as little as $2 a serve.

The best options tend to be the chunky vegetable and higher-protein varieties, which offer good amounts of dietary fibre and protein.

Make it more interesting by: Stirring through some protein like chicken. Or bulk it up with rice, quinoa or beans, and top with yoghurt and fresh herbs.

Baked beans

Homemade baked beans may be nutritionally superior to canned varieties, which do contain some added sugars, but overall, the nutritional benefits and convenience factor of canned outweighs the negatives.

Extremely rich in plant-based protein and dietary fibre, a single half-cup serve of baked beans offers more than 6g of dietary fibre for $2 or less a serve.

You can also make your own baked beans using cannellini beans for less than $1 a serve and add herbs and spices for breakfast or a light lunch or dinner.

Eat them with: Wholemeal or multigrain toast or jacket potatoes. Or make them yourself.