When it comes to counting carbs, hidden sugars are your enemy. Many canned fruits contain syrups or juices that are made with sugar and corn syrup. Therefore, while fruit itself is composed of mostly carbs, canned fruits -- even light versions -- typically have added carbs. When in doubt, remember that fresh fruit without added sugars or carbohydrates is the safest bet for your diet.
Light Canned Peaches vs. Fresh Peaches
The nutritional information for canned fruits can be found easily through LIVESTRONG's MyPlate tool. According to MyPlate, a half-cup serving of canned peaches with extra light syrup contains 15 total carbs. In contrast, one medium whole fresh peach also contains 15 carbs. While it might appear that both contain the same amount of carbs, it is important to note the serving size. A medium peach, according to MyPlate, weighs in at 5.3 ounces, while a half-cup of canned peaches only weighs 4 ounces, or one-half cup. The same half-cup amount of the fresh whole peach would contain only 11.3 carbs, or only 2.8 carbs per ounce. Even with light syrup, a serving of canned peaches still contains more carbs than a fresh whole peach.
Canned Pineapple vs. Fresh Pineapple
Similar to peaches, according to MyPlate, 1 cup of fresh pineapple chunks contains 71 calories. Stack that up next to a half-cup serving of canned pineapple, which contains 60 calories, and you'll see that canned pineapple contains nearly 50 percent more carbs than fresh pineapple. (If you multiply the 60-calorie serving of canned fruit by 2 to get the same serving size of the fresh pineapple, you would be eating 120 calories.) The cup of fresh pineapple weighs in at 20 carbs per serving, while a cup of the canned pineapple would contain 32 carbs per serving due to the added juice.
Why Is Fruit Canned in Syrup?
According to Jean Pitt, team member at the University of Minnesota's Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, fruit is often canned in syrups to preserve color, shape, and to reduce spoilage. However, fruits canned in syrups contain far more sugar than those canned in water or natural juices. Fruit canned with light syrup contains fewer calories than fruit canned in heavy syrup.
How to Select Fruit
Overall, fresh fruit is the healthiest option when weighing calories and carbohydrates. Fresh fruit will, however, spoil faster than canned fruit and is more difficult to store and keep on hand. The next best option is fruit canned in water, as the water adds no extra sugar, calories, or carbohydrates. Fruit canned in light syrup is healthier than fruit canned in heavy syrup, as less sugar is used. When counting carbohydrates, also remember to subtract fiber from the overall carbohydrate count in order to reach your net carb count. Fresh fruit will have less net carbs, overall, than canned fruit because of high fiber and no added sugar.
References
- Livestrong; MyPlate; Dole Pineapple Chunks
- Livestrong; MyPlate; Canned Peaches
- Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture; Nutritional comparison of fresh, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables; Joy C. Rickman, Diane M. Barrett, Christine M. Bruhn; 2007
- University of Minnesota; Extension; Canning Fruit
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