For example, a can of soup tastes nothing like a freshly cooked soup, and canned spaghetti is mushy. Because canned foods often contain preservatives or added salt or sugar, they also taste different than that same food purchased fresh.
Convenience is a core difference between canned and fresh foods. Fresh foods are convenient for people who have a local produce market nearby, or who can visit a farmer's market regularly enough to stock up their produce bin. People who live in urban centers often have access to fresh food, and people who live in rural regions sometimes live near local farms or grow fresh vegetables themselves. Anyone who lives near a fishing center can procure fresh fish. However, buying fresh food is not always an option. Fresh foods are not always local foods and therefore even fresh fish, meat, and produce are far from fresh once they reach the consumer's hands. A canned version of the same food was packaged fresher. Fresh foods are often more expensive than the canned version, too. Some foods are difficult to find fresh anywhere: such as water chestnuts or bamboo shoots. Buying the canned version is the only choice a person has to integrate certain ingredients into a recipe. Canned foods are packaged for long-term storage, too. Fresh foods perish rapidly and must be used within a short period of time after they are purchased. Individuals who live in isolated areas might not have the luxury to buy fresh food every day, every other day, or even every week. Canned foods may be the only...
Because they last a long time, canned foods are also helpful to keep around the house in case of emergencies whereas fresh foods cannot be counted on as emergency supplies.
Fresh and canned foods differ because of convenience, taste and texture, and nutritional value. Canned foods occasionally have comparable or even greater nutritional value vs. fresh foods. However, canned foods sometimes contain unhealthful additives, salt, sugar, or preservatives that alter their nutritional content. Fresh foods usually have the highest nutritional value but not all stores can carry the freshest foods possible. Canned foods taste different and have a different texture from the fresh versions. Sometimes canned versions taste better but usually fresh foods have a better texture and taste. Canned foods may weigh more than fresh foods because of the packaging but generally they are more convenient. Fresh foods perish fast, are difficult to procure, and are sometimes expensive.
Works Cited
Apovian, Caroline M. "Foods -- Fresh vs. Frozen or Canned." Medical Encyclopedia. Oct 2007. Retrieved Mar 8, 2009 at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002095.htm
Davies, Rhianon & Barrett, Amanda. True or False: Fresh Food Is Better Than Frozen or Canned Food. Health Library/EBSCO. Retrieved Mar 8, 2009 at http://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetContent.aspx?token=a4c1f00b-d245-44f2-a90e-20b047f84a6a&chunkiid=160561
