20 Gourmet Recipes for Canned Sardines: Tasty and Creative Meals (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with a can of sardines? ›

Sardines, very oily little fish, really love a lot of acid. It is hard to beat fresh lemon juice squeezed over them, but a vinegar — white wine, rice wine or white distilled — is also good. To give you a sense of how much to use, I often douse them in my choice of acid, almost as if I were treating them like escabeche.

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines s Americans recommend consuming 8 to 12 ounces of seafood (or about two to three 4-ounce servings) per week to help you reap the health benefits it provides. To meet these recommendations, consumers have a variety of options to choose from, canned sardines included.

Entrepreneur and VC Craig Cooper swears by eating 5 cans of sardines a day. (And loves a 22-minute power nap.) Being an entrepreneur means doing things differently: Creating new products and services. Finding new ways to solve old problems.

The best side dishes to serve with sardines are garden salad, potato wedges, pita bread, sautéed mushrooms, seed crackers, avocado salad, steamed broccoli, tomato bruschetta, tomato tortellini soup, couscous salad, grilled zucchini, roasted beet salad, lemon rice, garlic spinach, herb-roasted potatoes.

Eating fish like sardines is an important part of a healthy diet, but as with any food, moderation is key. The FDA recommends eating two to three servings of sardines per week. “It's smart to vary your seafood sources instead of eating the same type each week,” says Largeman-Roth.

Make a dip: Mash together sardines, mayo, chopped parsley, capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crackers and chips. Pesto! Process a handful of fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, EVOO, cracked pepper, shredded parmesan cheese and two sardines packed in EVOO.

For extra flavor, try adding lemon juice or mayonnaise and for a quick and delicious snack. On a cracker: Sardines are fantastic on crackers with garnishes like mustard. You could also try adding lemon juice to enhance the flavor of the sardines. On toast: Take your toast to another level by topping it with sardines.

The FDA recommends a weekly intake of two to three servings of sardines, or 8 to 12 ounces for adults and 4 to 6 ounces for children age 4 to 7. The FDA recognizes the health benefits of eating fish, especially for pregnant people and young children. Pregnant people can eat up to 12 ounces per week.

Sardines offer more vitamin E per serving than tuna, and they also contain more calcium. Vitamin E plays a role in healthy blood circulation by promoting new red blood cell development, and its antioxidant function combats tissue damage.

Which is healthier, salmon or sardines? ›

Canned sardines are packed with marine-based omega-3 fatty acids, a type of fat that helps lower inflammation and has been associated with benefits ranging from a lower risk of depression to a lower risk of heart disease and stroke. Gram for gram, canned sardines have even more of this powerhouse nutrient than salmon.

Rich in Omega-3 fatty acids: Sardines are a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for brain function, reducing inflammation, and maintaining a healthy heart. High-quality protein: Sardines provide complete protein, which helps in muscle growth, tissue repair, and maintaining a strong immune system.

Canned sardines contain a lot of sodium. One can has about 282 milligrams of sodium, which is roughly 12% of the daily recommended value. If you have high blood pressure, you should restrict sodium because it attracts water and adds to the volume of blood in the body.

They are actually very rich in: Omega-3 fatty acids. This source of healthy fat is popular for its known benefits to heart health. In addition to this, studies have shown that it may help with the prevention and management of erectile dysfunction, an issue that may occur in men as they age if they are not proactive.

If you can't find a brand that has a “No Salt Added” version, look for sardines that are packed in spring water. Then, rinsing the sardines may help to reduce some of the salt content. Just empty the can into a colander and rinse with cold water, shaking it and turning the sardines as you rinse.

You can toss them on straight from the can, fry them up, or grill them. Either way, sardines make a fun pizza topping. Sardines might not be the first type of seafood that comes to mind when you think about fish tacos, but these small, canned fish work surprisingly well in a tortilla.

Because sardines contain purines, which break down into uric acid, they aren't a good choice for those at risk of kidney stone formation. The high sodium in sardines can also increase calcium in your urine, which is another risk factor for kidney stones.