It’s time to stock up!

February is National Canned Food Month – and we’re pretty excited about this! Canned foods are an underestimated grocery item, when in reality they are pretty handy. There’s a variety of foods that can be canned and most have a shelf life of 1 to 2 years!

In honor of canned food month we are challenging you to stock up on your canned goods! Why? Well there’s a variety of reasons why canned foods are important.

Decreased food waste. Admit it, we’ve all done it – forgotten about those veggies you bought a couple of weeks ago and now they are way past their prime. By picking up canned veggies and fruits instead you can save yourself from wasting food, you can be environmentally friendly, and save yourself a couple of dollars.

Donations. There are almost always canned food specials at the grocery store. You can do some good for your community by purchasing some extra cans. Take advantage of the 3 cans for 2 dollars special – even if you’re not in the mood for that many cans of soup, donate some to your local shelter. Many shelters are always looking for canned food donations.

Emergencies. Canned foods can last from 1 to 2 years, and some can even last up to 5 years! Picture this – you’re back from a long vacation and there’s nothing in the fridge. Just make a quick trip to your pantry and grab some cans, and just like that you have dinner. Most importantly, if you live in areas that are prone to natural disasters, it is important to have canned foods in stock in case you lose power for a couple of days due to a storm.

Easy first foods for babies. Like many things nowadays, you can find some organic canned foods in BPA-free containers. Canned veggies and fruits can be easily pureed and fed to babies. If your little one has moved on to finger foods you can also offer them foods like canned green beans or peaches.

We hope that this information will encourage you to purchase some canned foods this month and stock up. Now go on and add canned foods to your grocery list!