Canned VS. Snap
 

I really like green beans in a can. I even found some green giant ones that are french style and say no salt added. My trainer told me to stay away from boxed and canned good including vegetables. He says the fresher the better. Which I know is true, but is it really going to jeopardize my diet if I have canned green beans instead. I eat raw carrots, and cook baby carrots from the produce and frozen and fresh broccoli, but I just can't do the snap green beans. They are just do not taste as good to me!

Do you eat canned green beans?

I would eat it if that's the only way you like it. I mean really how bad can they be- check out the label- if they are very salty just give them a quick rinse before eating to get rid of the saltiness. :)

Is your trainer also a nutritionist?

Eat the salt free green beans if ya like! I actually like them as a snack, right out of the can. A little fiber and protein for few calories is a good thing, IMO!

S/he may very well be a "nutritionist" (anyone can claim that title) but it's highly unlikely that s/he is a dietitian.

He is not a licensed nutritionist, just a gym trainer, but he is very good at helping people lose weight. He is one of the best trainers at my gym, everyone wants him as there trainer. He has helped this one lady recently lose around 100lbs in a little less than a year.

Obviously I don't HAVE to listen to his advice, but I definitely take it in to consideration. I just wanted to know everyone elses opinion on whether it would really make a difference. I mean for goodness sakes, a serving of greenbeans out of a can are like 35 calories, I don't think that's going to make me stall. I have been loosing pretty steadily about 2-3lbs a week, and everything besides the canned green beans I want is frozen veggies, meats, fruits, whole foods. Nothing from a box, besides V8 soups.

Freezing ande even canning actually can preserve some nutrients that fresh can lose, because the fresh produce (especially this time of year) often isn't all that fresh.

In my order of preference (and as I understand it, in order of nutrition) fresh and local farmer's market produce, grocery store produce (that looks great), frozen fruits and veggies frozen with no added ingredients, grocery store produce that looks good but not great, canned fruits and vegetables, dehydrated fruits and vegetables and lastly grocery store "fresh" produce that doesn't look very fresh.

I don't eat many canned vegetables, but the ones I do eat are green beans, beets, and tomatoes (especially in the winter). In the summer I eat almost entirely fresh, but in the summer frozen and canned vegetables are a more economical, and often as good or even better for you than fresh (because this time of year, the fresh isn't always very fresh).

The big issue with canned veggies is the sodium, but I soak green beans for about 15 minutes to remove the salt (rinsing would be good enough, but I really don't like salty veggies).

I agree with you on the taste of green beans. I hate the snap kind, they taste awful to me. I have tried to incorporate them in different dishes, but they are still a food that I have to force myself to eat. Green beans are the only veggie I get from a can. Every other veggie I do fresh or frozen.

I eat frozen green beans in the microwaveable packages (like Birdseye Steamfresh). Freezing is better than canning for preserving nutrients--and in some ways is better than fresh. I don't have time to spend on food prep--lots of things I'd rather do instead.

Occasionally we have canned green beans as a sort of green bean salad, but I don't like them as well.

From a HEALTH point of view, fresh or frozen is better. From a WEIGHT LOSS point of view, it doesn't make a lot of difference, IMO.

Jay

I love canned green beans and eat them all the time - green bean salad, snacks, sides. Once in a while, I eat fresh ones.

I'm wondering if maybe the trainer was referring to the sodium content in most canned goods? If you can get them sodium free, then why not eat them? I think I've heard that the farther you get from fresh and raw the more nutrient loss.

My opinion is that the green beans that are the best for you are the beans you will eat!

Now, assuming you like both and will eat both eagerly, I would say the fresher might be better. Personally, I like fresh beans better, but they are more work. My girls like to help me snap the ends off and see if they can get that noise. (I am always looking for ways to get them involved in healthy cooking.) The can won't do that, of course.

There is a difference between results and true knowledge. Theoretically, I could eat 1200 calories of pure junk and lose weight. I couldn't sell that as the most healthy plan because it worked. It is a way that would work if someone wanted to do it. Obviously this is a theoretical discussion. I am sure that your trainer has a lot of nutritional knowledge (a chiseled body is 80% nutrition, 10% exercise and 10% genes!) but be cautious of someone claiming expertise on something without more than anecdotal experience to back it up.

Big picture - YAY for you for working with a trainer and eating veggies!!!

Honestly I love fresh but we eat canned or frozen green beans a lot too. If those are the only ones you like then eat them! It's better than not eating them at all :)

I too love green beans and will eat them just about anyway. I've lost a lot of weight by eating canned beans, frozen beans, and beans fresh from my garden, (MY favorite, and I long for them again, but sadly my garden is buried in a foot of snow for now :()

Eating a can of green beans might not be the most optimal form, but I can tell you this FOR SURE, it is a **** of a lot better than a cookie, for the same calories.

Maybe you could try other ways for your fresh beans that you might like better than just boiled. My favorite way to eat fresh green beans is to stem them, (leave them whole), and stir fry them in a large skillet in olive oil and garlic (stirring often). Add a little water, salt & Pepper and soy sauce after they have sizzled for a good while and then turn down the heat and put a lid on it to steam them to the desired tenderness. Remove lid and up the heat to sizzle out any excess water and serve. I usually add sliced fresh mushrooms and onions to cook in with the green beans as well. It is to die for. I fix it for everyone, (kind of a company staple) and it always gets rave reviews...and NO leftovers. :)

I don't like canned veggies but I do like frozen. We keep frozen veggies on hand although we eat a lot of fresh veggies too.

I love canned green beans too. I hate the frozen green beans and can't really afford fresh. I don't know why the frozen are so different but I don't think canned are a problem if you get the no salt added kind. They haven't stalled my weight loss. Plus you are adding them to a diet with other fresh and frozen veggies. I also love snap peas but they are a very different taste and texture to green beans.