Why You Should Always Have Canned Chicken In Your Pantry

Getting your pantry fully stocked can be a lot of work, but it is well worth it. By keeping your kitchen cabinets full of canned, jarred, and boxed goods, you'll be able to buy fewer things weekly at the grocery store and save money, in addition to making it easier to prepare last-minute meals, and to eat more healthfully, according to Foodal.

Keeping ready-to-use foods in your pantry doesn't mean you are resorting to highly processed foods. You can fill it with healthy and tasty ingredients good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks with some good choices. Whole grain items should have a place in your storeroom, according to Foodal, listing whole wheat pasta, whole wheat breadcrumbs, brown rice, and rolled oats. Some other good options include quinoa, dried or canned fruits and vegetables, canned meats, nuts, and soups, per Insider.

Before purchasing an item, New York-based nutrition and wellness expert Samantha Cassetty told Insider to read the product's label and verify that it's not high in sugar, sodium, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. But here's why you should always have canned chicken in your pantry.

According to Urban Survival Site, when picking out protein options for your pantry, canned chicken should be one of the items you buy. You can add the meat chunks to a variety of recipes for salads and sandwiches or even eat it right out of the can. Moreover, if you buy the chicken in a can, the water has absorbed the flavor of the protein, making it similar to chicken broth, per Urban Survival Site.

But is canned chicken healthy? Vibrant Healthy Happy says yes, it is. The cooked and canned protein has the same nutritional value as freshly cooked chicken; however, Vibrant Healthy Happy advises it's still important to check the label for additives such as high amounts of sodium or to buy a kind with no added salt. HowStuffWorks also likes the idea of keeping canned chicken in the pantry because it's easy to turn it into something better by simply adding some mayonnaise and a few spices. Plus, it's also an easy-to-pack food item for travel.

A quick online search for canned chicken recipes comes up with dozens of them, including chicken tacos, chicken, spinach and artichoke dip, chicken fried rice, and chicken pot pie. Plus, that can of chicken will go great with the whole grain pasta, brown rice, and canned vegetables in your pantry.