Long-life food the unsung hero!

As inflation and supply continue to put pressure on food prices across the state, it may be time to raid the pantry and freezer for our forgotten friends – that’s our tinned, jarred, dried and frozen foods.

Frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables are great options to add to meals and snacks and keep our fruit and veg intake up. They are still packed full of goodness, containing just as many nutrients as fresh produce, sometimes even more as they are picked and packed straight from harvest. When choosing tinned food look for no salt or salt reduced options.

Here are some of our favourite tinned and frozen foods and how they can be used.

Vegetables

Frozen peas can be used in pasta, curries, fried rice, mashed as a toast topper or enjoyed as a cool snack.

Frozen spinach can be used in toasted sandwiches, quiches, frittatas, curries, and pasta.  

Tinned corn kernels can be used in curries, stews, salsas, or simply as a snack. Try using creamed corn as a base for savoury pikelets.

Tinned champignon mushrooms can be used in pasta, curries, stews, frittatas, soups and toasted sandwiches.

Tinned tomato can be used to make stews, curries, or pasta (just to name a few!).

Tinned chickpeas can be blended to make hummus, roasted into tasty snacks, or included in curries, stews, and salads.

Dried lentils can be used in curries, stews, soups, or rehydrated and made into patties.

*All dried beans and pulses are packed with protein and fibre and can be stored for up to a year in an airtight container in a cool dry place.

Jarred veg (charred capsicum, sundried tomato, pickled onion, pickles) can be used in sandwiches, frittatas, salads and pasta. These veg will add extra flavour to your meals or snacks and make a tasty cracker topper.  

Fruit

 Frozen fruit can be blended into fruit sorbets and smoothies, added into   homemade baked  goods, or enjoyed as a snack.

 Tinned fruit in juice can be eaten on its own or mixed into homemade baked goods.

 Dried fruit can be mixed into homemade baked goods or eaten in small quantities as a snack (examples include sultanas, apricots, dates, and cranberries**)

** be mindful of serving sizes as dried fruit is dehydrated which means the water has been removed and the sugars will be concentrated.   

Meat and meat alternatives

Tinned meats (tuna, salmon, and chicken) can be used in rice and pasta dishes, salads, sandwiches, as rice cake toppers or as a snack on their own. Tinned meats are great sources of protein and can last in your pantry for up to two years.

Nuts and seeds can be used to add some extra crunch and protein to salads, stir-fries, fried rice or enjoyed on their own for a high protein snack. Once blended, nut butters make a tasty rice cake topper, which can be paired with cut apple, or spread on toast and topped with sliced banana.

Dried or tinned lentils, chickpeas and beans are also a great source of fibre and protein  - see some ideas in the vegetable section above.

Quick corn pikelets

• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 420g tin creamed corn
• 2 tablespoons milk, long life milk or milk made from powder
• Oil spray

Method

1. Mix flour, creamed corn and milk together. It makes quite a thick batter (more like a damper than a pancake mixture).  
2. Heat a large frypan and spray with oil.
3. Use a large spoon to dollop spoonfuls (about ¼ cup size) of batter into the frypan. Cook on a medium heat until golden brown on that side - about 3-5 minutes. They will puff up a bit too. Flip over and cook for another 3 minutes, or until golden brown. 
4. Repeat until the batter is all used up. 

Optional additions:

• Add an egg to make these fluffier and higher in protein.
• Fresh, frozen or tinned veg will bulk these up and make them healthier. Try tinned corn, frozen beans, grated sweet potato. 
• Add pops of flavour like pepper, curry powder, sundried tomatoes, chillies, Italian herbs or olives. 

LiveLighter ®© State of Western Australia 2023, recipe and photo’s reproduced with permission.