Healthy ideas for your inbox
If you associate tinned fish with a soggy tuna sandwich or a last-resort pantry item, it’s time to reevaluate. Those dusty cans have gotten a glow-up. Now you can spend anywhere from $2 to $40 on a container of sardines or mackerel wrapped in colorful packaging for your “tinned fish date night.” Invited to a tinned fish party? Go to your local specialty store to find endless varieties of cured trout, oysters, and even octopus from places like Portugal and Spain.
Die-hard tinned fish fans say it’s a quick, affordable way to have a healthy and luxurious-feeling meal. Is there anything fishy about these claims? Here is everything you need to know — and some ideas for how to dip your toe in the water.
Is tinned fish healthy for you?
Judy Simon, a registered dietitian at the Nutrition Clinic at the University of Washington Medical Center-Roosevelt, is all in on this trend.
“I grew up in the Midwest, and we ate a lot of tinned fish; it was a thing in our house,” Simon says, naming sardines and anchovies as two favorites. “These tinned fish are like umami bombs.”
Now, more people have caught on to how much flavor you can add to a toast, salad or pasta dish just by peeling back the lid of a tin. The fact that you can find products that are fancy feeling (hello colorful packaging) and exotic (see: Spanish squid canned in ink) but often still affordable makes it even more appealing. Best of all? It’s good for you.
“What’s great about this whole trend is it’s getting people to eat more fish and omega-3 fatty acids,” she says. “Not only is it so tasty, it’s super healthy.”
Indeed, tinned fish is a convenient way to get all sorts of nutrients, from healthy fats to lean protein.
“In addition to omega-3’s, fish can also be a good source of the antioxidant CoQ10, which helps support healthy mitochondria and metabolism,” says Dr. Christopher Damman, a gastroenterologist at the Digestive Health Center at UW Medical Center – Montlake and an associate professor of Gastroenterology and Medicine in the UW School of Medicine.
Finally, if you’re not too squeamish, eating the bones in your sardines or mackerel is safe because they soften in the curing process and will give you a big dose of calcium.
How to get started eating tinned fish
If you didn’t grow up eating tinned fish or had a bad experience with a greasy anchovy pizza as a kid, it can be hard to get over your bias against it and intimidating to know where to start. Here are a few tips.
Start with a fish you’re familiar with
Are you not a huge seafood person but love grilled salmon or lox on your bagel? Start with a can of smoked salmon, which is relatively mild and will have a familiar flavor.
“Canned salmon can be a particularly good source of healthy fats,” says Damman.
Smoked trout or mackerel are other good options to start with. If you’re getting hooked, you can move on to a tinned sardine or mussel.
You don’t need to buy the expensive stuff
It can be intimidating to look at all the options available nowadays, and some of them can get very pricey. One thing to keep in mind? A $20 can of sardines is not necessarily healthier for you than a $5 can.
“I don’t think the price makes that much of a difference,” says Simon. “Maybe the expensive ones used fancier olive oil.”
Some tins also spice their contents with special ingredients like peppers, lemon or even chili crisp, which could increase the cost, but again, that doesn’t necessarily make it better for you.
Choose olive oil over water
Do stick to fish packaged in olive oil if you can, which potentially has additional health benefits.
“Fish packaged in olive oil may actually help preserve the healthy omega-3 fatty acids better than water,” says Damman.
It will also be a lot tastier and can add flavor to a sauce or dressing if you add some of the oil to it along with the fish.
Opt for smaller fish to avoid mercury
While eating large quantities of larger fish, like tuna or albacore, can result in unhealthy levels of mercury, smaller fish, like anchovies and sardines, are safe to eat however frequently you wish.
“Small fish contain a lot less mercury; they’re not the bottom feeders,” says Simon. “Women who are trying to conceive or if they’re pregnant, they might want to watch their mercury consumption and stick with something like a sardine.”
Watch your salt intake
One other health risk to keep in mind is the amount of sodium you’re consuming. “Some fish in particular, like anchovies, are actually preserved in salt,” says Damman. “Even a single serving of anchovies can contribute up to half of your recommended daily value of salt intake.”
Simon has a tip to eliminate some of that salt: “If someone were watching their sodium intake, I would just say rinse them off,” she says. “You’re still going to have the delicious flavor.”
And if you’re using a saltier fish, like an anchovy, in a salad dressing or chicken dish, remember those things pack a punch, and a little bit goes a long way.
What are some ways to prepare tinned fish?
Feeling ready to jump in? Here are three great ways to prepare tinned fish.
Tinned fished on toast
One of the simplest ways to eat tinned fish is to pop open a tin and slather it on a piece of bread. A thick piece of a crusty loaf, lightly toasted, will absorb the oils and won’t fall apart. You can also slice tomato, radish, red onion or a soft cheese to go on top.
Tinned-fish bean salad
One of Simon’s favorite ways to eat tinned fish is to throw it into a salad. After whisking together a dressing of lemon juice, salt and black pepper in a medium bowl, add a can of white beans, a tin of sardines or tuna, chopped red onion and some fresh basil. You can also add whatever other veggies you have on hand, like cucumber or tomato. Toss it all together and serve it on a bed of greens.
“All of a sudden, it looks like you have a $25 salad, and you really haven’t spent that much on the sardines or the tuna,” says Simon.
Tinned fish in pasta
Finally, cured fish, like sardines and anchovies, can elevate a pasta dish like nothing else. Mix it into a tomato sauce or toss it into some spaghetti or linguine along with lemon zest, parsley, capers and toasted bread crumbs.
Bon appetit!
