February is Canned Food Month but you can celebrate the convenience and affordability of canned food all year ‘round'! Keep your pantry stocked with a variety of nutritious canned foods such as canned “no-salt-added” black beans, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), diced tomatoes, and more.
Canned fruits and vegetables are great to incorporate into your healthy lifestyle. Some canned fruits have a lot of added sugars or syrups, so choose fruits packed in 100% juice or water. Some canned vegetables contain added salt, so choose the "no-salt-added" option when available. Drain and rinse regular salted canned vegetables to remove about 40% of the sodium.
Easy Black Bean Brownies
Download Handout Spanish Handout- 1 (15 ounce) can “no-salt-added” black beans
- 1 (18.4 ounce) box brownie mix
Directions:
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Preheat oven to temperature according to directions on the box. Spray a baking pan (size recommended on box) with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Pour the can of black beans with liquid into a food processor or blender, and blend until well mixed and no chunks of beans remain.
- Add brownie mix to the blender, and blend until well combined. Pour into a 9 x 9-inch or 9 x 13-inch baking dish and bake according to the directions on the box.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information:
Recipes using canned foods:
Sources:
Basic Foods Checklist: How to Stock Your Kitchen for Simple Meals (Source: Nebraska Extension)
Combating Canned Food Myths (Source: Canned Food Alliance)
Home Food Storage (Source: Nebraska Extension)
This article was originally written by Laura DeWitt. It was reviewed and updated in 2025.
