Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Canned Foods: Easy Ways to Make Great, Healthy Foods!

Canned foods have had a bad rap. But did you know that canned foods are actually very nutritious? Add that to the fact that they're low-cost and easy to use in recipes, which makes it a great addition to any cost-concious family's pantry.

I just watched a video by the Canned Food Alliance (you can watch it below), which debunks some myths about canned foods. Did you know that experts follow your canned foods from the farmers' fields to the grocery store shelves, making certain quality control measures are in place and that everything is being done to ensure the quality of the food every step of the way?

I love canned beans. Here's a fun canned bean fact that I learned from the video: all canned beans are fat free! They're very nutritious and can be used in a wide variety of recipes. Here's one of my favorites! It's an easy, quick, complete meal in one dish!

Mama's Tex-Mex Casserole:

2 tbs. vegetable oil
1 6 oz. can of diced green chilies
1 lb. of ground turkey
1 can of diced tomatoes with chilies
2 tbs. of chili powder
1 tsp. of cumin
1 tsp. of salt
1 can of corn drained
1 can of vegetarian refried beans
8 oz. of montery jack cheese
1 cup of crushed tortilla chips
3 green onions, chopped
sour cream

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Add oil to a nonstick skillet. Brown ground turkey until no longer pink. Add canned tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and salt. Simmer until liquid evaporates. Mix in half the cheeze to turkey/tomato mix. Add chilies to bottom of 2 quart casserole dish. Add turkey/tomatoes/cheese combination over chilies. Layer canned corn on top of turkey/tomatoes. Spread refried beans over corn layer. Top with the rest of the cheese and the crushed tortilla chips. Bake for 25 minutes at 350. Serve with the onions and sour cream.

There are so many recipes out there that you can make with canned foods. I learned about the canned food alliance from Twitter Moms. Learn more by visit the Twitter Moms page here.

Watch the Field to Table Video
Canned Food Alliance
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