Canned Sardines - Nutritional Powerhouse

J

jbkunt2

Woodpecker
Just wanted to share my enthusiasm for this cheap, accessible ''nutritional powerhouse''.

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Look at the nutrition packed into these tasty little fuckers. Note that each pack is 2.5x portions so 2.5x those numbers:

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I buy 12 packs from Amazon - About $2.50 a pack.

For brands, I recommend 'Wild Planet' in the US, and 'Fish4Life' in the UK. Both wild, sustainable caught.

I shovel them straight out the can (in Marinara or Olive Oil) and down my kneck. About 5 packs p/w.

Just sharing the wealth...
 
topdog

topdog

Robin
Sardines are an awesome low-carb meal on their own. Just make sure the ones you get are not swimming in hydrogenated vegetable oil=trans fat. Canola, sunflower or cotton oil is fine.

The best tasting for me are in tomato sauce.
 
Mr. Brightside

Mr. Brightside

Robin
Gold Member
Gonna pick some of these suckers up tomorrow. Just make sure you guys don't overdo it, Sardines can be loaded with arsenic levels that will mess with your body without moderation.
 
frozen-ace

frozen-ace

Robin
When I get sardines I order the crown prince bpa free cans. They cost more than regular cans though. I also get the sardines with skin and bones. They have more nutrition.

This last year I caught quite a bit of fish and hunted the rest of my food, so haven't had to purchase anything from a can. However, that lifestyle isn't available to most people, and in that case sardines are the way to go.
 
Penta Sahi

Penta Sahi

Kingfisher
Tim Ferris advocated for this recently (can of sardines + spoon of coconut oil for breakfast).

I do admit that I occasionally do this as well, but not really for the nutritional purposes. Sometimes I'm just super lazy in the morning or I just want to mix it up. Popping a can of sardines and inhaling it takes almost zero time and is actually quite filling and tasty.

But good to know there's some actual super benefits to this. I might have to try and work out some regular schedule of consumption (maybe twice a week?).

PS. Brush your teeth afterwards.
 
Khan

Khan

Kingfisher
Gold Member
Sardines indeed have high nutritional value, I eat them regularly. When you compare them with tuna, they're not as protein dense, but they contain much less mercury, which makes them safe for everyday consumption.

Here's a handy little recipe for a sardine spread, I find that canned sardines taste much better this way:

- take one can (~100g) of sardines in olive oil, remove tail and bones, put them all in a bowl
- add 100g of cottage cheese
- add some chopped onion and garlic
- spice it up: salt, pepper, oregano, basil, parsley...
- add lemon juice made from squeezing one lemon

Take a spoon and squish everything together. Keep squishing and mixing everything in the bowl until you get a spread which you can put on bread or crackers. I personally prefer to eat this spread with rye crackers and tomatoes, but you can experiment and find some other combination that tastes good.

There you have it, a simple recipe for a healthy snack. Don't forget to wash your hands and brush your teeth afterwards, as the sardines+onions+garlic combination will make your breath smell like the pathology lab.
 
redbeard

redbeard

Hummingbird
Catholic
Gold Member
Khan said:
Sardines indeed have high nutritional value, I eat them regularly. When you compare them with tuna, they're not as protein dense, but they contain much less mercury, which makes them safe for everyday consumption.

Here's a handy little recipe for a sardine spread, I find that canned sardines taste much better this way:

- take one can (~100g) of sardines in olive oil, remove tail and bones, put them all in a bowl
- add 100g of cottage cheese
- add some chopped onion and garlic
- spice it up: salt, pepper, oregano, basil, parsley...
- add lemon juice made from squeezing one lemon

Take a spoon and squish everything together. Keep squishing and mixing everything in the bowl until you get a spread which you can put on bread or crackers. I personally prefer to eat this spread with rye crackers and tomatoes, but you can experiment and find some other combination that tastes good.

There you have it, a simple recipe for a healthy snack. Don't forget to wash your hands and brush your teeth afterwards, as the sardines+onions+garlic combination will make your breath smell like the pathology lab.
Click to expand...

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That sounds amazing. I bet doing marinara sardines and basil on Ezekiel bread would be epic.

High fat or zero fat cottage cheese?
 
D

Dr. Howard

 
Banned
Gold Member
I love sardines. They are the nutritious lazy man's meal. Here are some fast alternatives to just eating them raw

1. Put on toast and broil in a toaster oven
2. add yellow mustard to the open can

The empty cans smell terrible though, I would wash them out with soap like I was doing my dishes.
 
Khan

Khan

Kingfisher
Gold Member
redbeard said:
High fat or zero fat cottage cheese?
Click to expand...

The one I'm using has 2% fat, I think that falls into the low-fat category.

But it depends on your preferences for taste, as well as the type of sardines you eat. I always use sardines in olive oil, so I don't need additional fat in the mixture. But if you use sardines in water, then you might consider using high-fat cottage cheese.

The key to this recipe is actually in the additional ingredients you put in (onions, garlic, spices etc). If you only mix cottage cheese and mashed sardines, then the spread will taste rather bland.
 
Isaac Jordan

Isaac Jordan

Kingfisher
Gold Member
topdog said:
Sardines are an awesome low-carb meal on their own. Just make sure the ones you get are not swimming in hydrogenated vegetable oil=trans fat. Canola, sunflower or cotton oil is fine.
Click to expand...

While you're right about staying away from hydrogenated oils, vegetable/seed oils really aren't much better. They're mostly polyunsaturated fatty acids, which when oxidized (through exposure to heat, light, air, or even moisture) create free radicals that wreak havoc on everything from cell membranes, to DNA/RNA strands, to blood vessels and entire organs/systems.

If you're going to get them in oil, go for olive oil. It contains mostly monounsaturated fat, and includes a decent amount of vitamin E, which helps prevent oxidation in the first place. Most brands carry it, and the nicer ones even use extra virgin. My personal favorite is the King Oscar EVOO with cracked black pepper.
 
churros

churros

 
Banned
I always thought these looked gross, but am willing to try on the strength of this thread. Do they require any preparation from the tin, i.e. bones, tail, head etc.?
 
Gradient

Gradient

Kingfisher
churros said:
I always thought these looked gross, but am willing to try on the strength of this thread. Do they require any preparation from the tin, i.e. bones, tail, head etc.?
Click to expand...

No prep needed. Straight from the tin.
 
philosophical_recovery

philosophical_recovery

Hummingbird
Gold Member
Khan said:
Sardines indeed have high nutritional value, I eat them regularly. When you compare them with tuna, they're not as protein dense, but they contain much less mercury, which makes them safe for everyday consumption.

Here's a handy little recipe for a sardine spread, I find that canned sardines taste much better this way:

- take one can (~100g) of sardines in olive oil, remove tail and bones, put them all in a bowl
- add 100g of cottage cheese
- add some chopped onion and garlic
- spice it up: salt, pepper, oregano, basil, parsley...
- add lemon juice made from squeezing one lemon

Take a spoon and squish everything together. Keep squishing and mixing everything in the bowl until you get a spread which you can put on bread or crackers. I personally prefer to eat this spread with rye crackers and tomatoes, but you can experiment and find some other combination that tastes good.

There you have it, a simple recipe for a healthy snack. Don't forget to wash your hands and brush your teeth afterwards, as the sardines+onions+garlic combination will make your breath smell like the pathology lab.
Click to expand...

:mindblown:

I've always eaten them straight from the tin but this is pure genius.
 
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