Culinary Medicine in Action: Dietitian Milette Siler on Canned Foods & Everyday Nutrition

What if everyday pantry staples could help you eat healthier and more affordably, and also free up your time in the kitchen? In this episode, registered dietitian Milette Siler shares why food is medicine is a powerful tool for improving health alongside traditional medicine and pharmacotherapy, and how ingredients like canned tomatoes and canned fruits can play a nutritious role in your meals. Whether you’re aiming to improve your own health or help others do the same, this conversation highlights how smart food choices, even from a can, can support a healthy, balanced diet.  

In this episode you’ll hear:
2:45 – Why does food as medicine matter?
7:30 –  About Teaching kitchens
10:15 – Nutrients in fresh vs. canned and frozen foods
15:30 – How to store fresh herbs
16:10 – Fiber in canned tomatoes and canned fruits
19:00 – Are canned fruits healthy?
21:15 – Should you drain canned fruit?
25:15 – What to avoid when buying canned fruit
26:10 – Is there a concern with BPA in canned foods?
27:30 – Smoothies and satiety
30:45 – How to build a healthy pantry
32:30 – What does a dietitian do?
35:30 – “It’s what we don’t eat that gets us into trouble.”  

Thank you to our sponsor, Pacific Coast Producers.

Resource:

• https://scijournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jsfa.5849

CREDITS:
Host – Dr. Sabrina Falquier, MD, CCMS, DipABLM
Sound & Editing – Will Crann
Executive Producer – Esther Garfin

©2025 Alternative Food Network Inc.

Dr. Sabrina Falquier is a board-certified physician and a leader in Culinary Medicine. She specializes in bridging the gap between scientific evidence and the actual food on your plate, empowering listeners to use the kitchen as a place of wellness and healing.

Show Topics Include: Nutrition, Food as Medicine, Microbiome, Metabolism, Weight loss, Gut health, Healthy recipes, Health, Inflammation, Longevity, Blood sugar, Protein, Magnesium, Sleep quality, Immunity, Hormone balance, Sunday meal prep, Medically tailored meals (MTM), Produce Prescription (PRx), Prevention, Teaching kitchen, Health equity, Evidence-based nutrition, food podcast insights