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We Graded Every Canned Vegetable A–F. A Cheap, Smart Way to Hit Your Veg.

Most of our report cards are an exposé. This one isn’t. Canned vegetables get written off as the sad, lesser cousin of fresh, but the grades tell a kinder story: canning locks in most of the nutrients, and a stocked pantry is one of the cheapest, most reliable ways to actually hit your vegetables. Peas and corn lead this list, and the spread is small. The only real laggard is cream-style corn, which bolts on added sugar until it reads more like a side of dessert. The universal watch-out is sodium — but draining and rinsing trims roughly 40% of it — so this report card is less ‘who failed’ and more a quiet endorsement of the canned-veg aisle.

The verdict

We graded 5 canned vegetables A–F: the category averages 76/100 (B), from 78 (B) at the top down to 71 (B-) at the bottom.

Corn and tomatoes lead: Green Giant Whole Kernel Sweet Corn and Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes tied for the top at B (78), while Del Monte Fresh Cut Cream Style Sweet Corn came last at B- (71), dinged on added sugar rather than the vegetable.

Top of the class B Green Giant Whole Kernel Sweet Corn 78/100
Bottom of the class B- Del Monte Fresh Cut Cream Style Sweet Corn 71/100

The top picks, with the receipts

#1 Green Giant Whole Kernel Sweet Corn B 78/100

Pros

  • No saturated fat
  • Just 1 g added sugar
  • Low sodium at 129 mg

Cons

  • Only 1 g fiber
  • Only 2 g protein per serving

#2 Hunt's Diced Tomatoes B 78/100

Pros

  • No saturated fat
  • No added sugar
  • Low sodium at 200 mg

Cons

  • Only 2.1 g fiber
  • Only 1 g protein per serving

#3 Del Monte Fresh Cut Sweet Peas B 77/100

Pros

  • No saturated fat
  • Low sodium at 190 mg
  • Clean, short ingredient list

Cons

  • Only 4 g protein per serving

#4 Del Monte Fresh Cut French Style Green Beans B- 74/100

Pros

  • No saturated fat
  • Clean, short ingredient list

Cons

  • Only 1 g fiber
  • Only 1 g protein per serving

#5 Del Monte Fresh Cut Cream Style Sweet Corn B- 71/100

Pros

  • No saturated fat
  • Clean, short ingredient list

Cons

  • Only 1 g fiber
  • Only 1 g protein per serving

Pros and cons come straight from each product’s own label. A dimension is listed only when its sub-score is decisive (78 or above for a pro, 62 or below for a con), so a merely-average number never gets sold as a strength. Every figure is per labeled serving — full panels on each product page.

The full report card — all 5 canned vegetables, ranked

#Canned vegetableGradeScoreWeakest link
1 Green Giant — Whole Kernel Sweet Corn B 78 fiber (36/100)
2 Hunt's — Diced Tomatoes B 78 fiber (42/100)
3 Del Monte — Fresh Cut Sweet Peas B 77 fiber (52/100)
4 Del Monte — Fresh Cut French Style Green Beans B- 74 fiber (36/100)
5 Del Monte — Fresh Cut Cream Style Sweet Corn B- 71 fiber (36/100)

Worth a closer look

The two ends of the list tell the story. Green Giant Whole Kernel Sweet Corn tops the class at 78/100 (B); Del Monte Fresh Cut Cream Style Sweet Corn anchors the bottom at 71/100 (B-). Click any product for its full fact sheet — the six dimension sub-scores, the per-serving label, and what would move its grade. Prefer to slice it yourself? Filter every graded product by the dimension you care about.

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How we graded these

Each product is scored on six dimensions — protein density, ingredient quality, added sugar, sodium, fiber, and saturated fat — combined into a 0–100 score and a letter grade. Every number comes from the product’s own label, verified against USDA FoodData Central. The grade is absolute (relative to all packaged foods), which is why a whole category can land in the same band. See the full methodology. Last graded 2026-06-04.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which canned vegetable scored highest?

Peas and corn led, tied at the top — Del Monte Fresh Cut Sweet Peas and Green Giant Whole Kernel Sweet Corn, with Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes just behind. See the ranked table above for the exact order and each one’s weakest dimension. The spread is tight, so most plain canned vegetables here are a smart pick.

Why did the cream-style corn score lowest?

Del Monte Fresh Cut Cream Style Sweet Corn came last because the creamed style bolts on added sugar, and added sugar is one of our six dimensions. Plain whole-kernel corn grades higher for the same reason — it skips the sweetening. A clear case of the recipe, not the vegetable, setting the score.

Are canned vegetables healthy?

Yes — they’re a smart, cheap way to get your vegetables, and canning keeps most of the nutrients intact, which is why the category grades in the B range. The one thing to watch is sodium, and draining and rinsing cuts roughly 40% of it before it reaches your plate.

How is the grade calculated?

Six dimensions — protein density, ingredient quality, added sugar, sodium, fiber, and saturated fat — into a 0–100 score and a letter grade, from each product’s own label, verified against USDA data. See our methodology page.

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