Rinsing Canned Fruit Won't Remove As Much Sugar As You May Think

There's no question that canned fruit is a quick and easy way to get the nutrients in standard fruit without waiting for a certain type of produce to be in season. Plus, it's less expensive than fresh fruit, making it a budget-friendly option as well. However, canned fruit is often swimming in sugary syrup. While this gives it a pleasantly sweet taste, it's not usually the healthiest choice. The syrup tends to add a good amount of sugar, and even if you drain or rinse it, you won't remove as much as you might think. That's because fruit is porous, meaning it can absorb liquid. By the time you rinse it, it's already soaked up some of that saccharine syrup.

Of course, rinsing the syrup off is better than not doing so if you're looking for reduced sugar content, and draining your canned fruit certainly won't hurt, either. However, you might want to consider sticking to fresh fruit if you're worried about your sugar intake.

The short answer is yes. Rinsing the canned fruit will help remove that sugary syrup that's on the outside of the fruit, but it might not make a dent in the syrup the fruit has already absorbed. Ultimately, it's a better option than not rinsing at all. The syrup does have a purpose: it's meant to help the fruit retain important elements such as flavor and color.

Though rinsing the fruit might help slightly, if you are someone who is concerned about their sugar intake (such as a person with diabetes), it's best to not consume canned fruit. The syrup that's already been absorbed might make the fruit's sugar content too high to be safe, depending on your allowed sugar intake. Though certain fresh fruits aren't always available throughout the year, it's good to keep an eye on what's in season so you know what to buy during the winter months when fresh fruit is less prevalent.

Canned fruit might be cost-effective and easy-to-find, but how does its nutritional value compare to the fresh kind? Is it worth buying?

If you're looking to cut costs, yes, canned fruit is likely worth it. Though the sugar intake is a concern, from other nutritional standpoints, there is hardly a difference between canned and fresh varieties. That's because canned fruit, similarly to frozen fruit, is processed shortly after it's harvested. This means those nutrients are locked in, keeping the fruit's nutritional profile intact and allowing you to receive pretty much the same vitamins and minerals that you'd find in fresh fruit, including vitamin C and zinc. Just make sure to look for fruit that's canned in water or its own juice. If you're looking to enjoy canned fruit as a snack or meal, you can try adding it to another healthy food, such as yogurt (with no sugar added) or whole grain cereal, so that you can enjoy its benefits without adding excess sugar to your diet.