Why I Keep a Tin of Sardines on Hand

March 2, 2015

   By now you may have guessed I prefer little changes that can be made into habits. Attempts at big changes, especially in a short amount of time, rarely work and end up being a waste of time and sometimes money. So when it comes to diet there are lots of little steps here and there that can make a difference when you add them all up. 

   Sardines are a small change (pun intended!) that can help make a big difference. Last week I wrote about the impact just changing a salad dressing can have on a diet. Salads are one of the go-to dishes that anyone seriously interested in health improvement should adopt if they haven't already. Today I'd like to focus on an excellent salad ingredient, sardines. 

Environmental and Health Concerns

   In an era of overfishing and unsustainable practices that have taken us to the brink of species collapse in the oceans, the Pacific Sardine is a success story. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch gives a thumbs up to the Pacific sardine. The Atlantic sardine should be avoided due to overfishing. Seabirds, whales, dolphins, tuna, and other fish rely on sardines as a food source in Atlantic and Mediterranean waters. 

   If the tin of sardines says it comes from Europe the likelihood is they are Atlantic. So, mark them off the list. Besides, we live in John Steinbeck country where Pacific sardines were a staple of business on Cannery Row. Pacific sardines are local.

   A positive attribute of sardines is their low mercury levels. They're on the bottom of the food chain and, unlike larger predators which become concentrated due to the additive effect of eating many smaller fish containing mercury, are safe to eat regularly. The FDA monitored mercury levels in fish for 20 years and found sardines to be relatively mercury free.

   Sardines are high in sodium. A can has about 450 milligrams, which is about 1/3rd of a suggested daily low sodium intake. So if you're on a low sodium diet you should compensate accordingly in order to include them. If sardines weren't so nutritionally power packed I'd caution about eating them at all. But the upside is high enough to eat less sodium in other foods throughout a day in order to add sardines to the menu.

Health Benefits

Heart Health

  • High concentration of triglyceride and cholesterol lowering omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA).
  • Source of vitamin B-12, a nutrient known to be important in maintaining the health of artery walls.
  • A can of sardines has only about 10.5 grams of fat but only 1.4 grams are unsaturated. That's great.

Brain Health

  • Omega-3s are important in maintaining memory and brain function.

Bone Health

  • Excellent source of vitamin D.
  • Good source of phosphorous.
  • A can of sardines has about 350 milligrams of calcium, about 1/3rd of the daily requirement.

Just Add to Salad

   There's not a whole lot to explain. Sardines go well with just about any salad and vinaigrette. If salads are already on your menu or you're starting to adopt them as a regular meal, keeping sardines on hand is a great idea to up the nutrition.