Why you should eat Sardines twice a week

[quinnox]

Yes, sardines--the unpretentious little fish that comes in metal tins with peel off tops--are a nutritional powerhouse. And not only are they good for you, they’re cheap and come ready to eat, making them a perfect food for the prep-challenged. But what’s so great about sardines?

Sardines are loaded with calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese. They are also a great source of nonmeat vitamin B12. In fact, one tin of sardines provides 150 percent of the Daily Value.

Sardines are also a great source of selenium.

But sardines’ biggest health benefit lies in their high concentration of omega-3-fatty acids, which reduce triglyceride levels. Besides fish such as salmon, sardines are one of the best sources of omega-3s.

The advantage of getting omega-3s from sardines is that their smaller size makes them less likely to have accumulated toxins such as mercury, dioxane and PCB.

Remember: the bigger the fish, the more mercury it contains. Fish such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish, for example, contain high levels of mercury. And while canned light tuna contains a small amount of omega-3 and fairly low mercury levels, fresh tuna steaks and albacore tuna contain three times as much mercury.

You can’t go wrong with sardines!

More...http://www.thedrillcoach.com/2009/02/why-you-should-eat-sardines-today.html

My comment - Plus they taste really good! A lot of people seem to be turned off when they see the small fish crammed in that tin can, but I'm telling you they are delicious! Just try them and you will see, they taste a lot better than they appear.

[bobbolink]

1. I seem to remember trying them years ago and not liking the taste, but you have sold me...

..I'm going to give them a try.

If I don't like them, can I trade them in for some choklit? ^_^

[MajorChode]

5. Try Brisling sardines

They are the highest quality you can get. Naturally they are more expensive, but quite tasty.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5576092_brisling-sardines.html

[Tesha]

58. And King Oscar is a good brand. (NT)

[tammywammy]

9. From what I've read, there's a lot of different types of sardines

You may want to try and experiment, depending on where they came from to what they're packed it, even if you don't like one type, you might find one you love.

As for myself, they're on the list of things to try, but I haven't done it. I've read a lot of good things about them.

[dionysus]

50. they make sardines packed in mustard.. might help...

[MajorChode]

2. Smaller fish are also typically much more sustainable

Sardines(which are actually many varieties of small fish) and squid are some of the most sustainable fish in the ocean. I try to eat sardines at least 2 times per week and not necessarily because they are good for me. I just like them.

[tammywammy]

11. How do you eat them?

Just the fish? On crackers?

[MajorChode]

24. Lots of different ways

I like them right out of the can or on crackers with Dijon mustard. I also use them in recipes like fish stew, pate, pizza, and on salads.

One of my favorite things to do with them is mash them up and mix with finely chopped fresh garlic and spread them on toast made from homemade bread, then topped with sliced cherry tomatoes and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

[tammywammy]

27. I'm gonna have to give them a try

I've read all good things mostly.

[The Magistrate]

28. A Nice Way With Spaghetti, Major

Saute an onion and some garlic, add sardines out of the can in olive oil with an appreciable amount of oregano and basil and some extra olive oil, use as sauce with the noodles.

[MajorChode]

32. I'm going to try that

I'm always looking for new ways to use them.

[The Magistrate]

35. You Will Not Regret It, Major: Use Plenty Of Oil

I cook by eye, and regret I cannot give you measurements.

[scarletwoman]

39. See my recipe for sardine hash in post #36. nt

[Geoff R. Casavant]

123. Here's one of my favorites: Beer Battered Sardines

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Beer-Batter-Fried-Sardines-and-Lime-101775

[Geoff R. Casavant]

124. Here's one of my favorites: Beer Battered Sardines

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Beer-Batter-Fried-Sardines-and-Lime-101775

[Ignis]

40. That recipe needs two things: Red Pepper and Capers.

Otherwise, sounds great. :)

[w8liftinglady]

96. hey-I'm gonna try that!

[Confusious]

65. mmmmm............... mustard

I will have to try that. Really don't like fish, but I've been working on it. If mustard is involved, it's doable.

[vixengrl]

95. Sardine sandwiches are awesome.

I usually just empty a can on a split whole wheat bagel with some mayo, but I think I might dress up my next sandwich with some of my home-grown tomatoes. Weird that I never thought of tomatoes with sardines, when tuna & tomato salad is one of my hot weather staple dinners.

[watrwefitinfor]

47. No one has mentioned my favorite -

Open the can, toss the little fishies into a bowl, oil and all, then splash a goodly portion of vinegar over them. Apple cider or balsamic - either is great.

For a special treat toss in some chopped onion or scallions. Fresh cayenne or jalapeno peppers, finely chopped, work nicely, too.

I used to carry cans for lunch at the factory. Cleared the table every time. Odd.

My great granddaughter has been eating them with me since she was about 2 years old. She loves anchovies and canned herring, too. (But she does decline the vinegar and peppers. For now.)

Wat

[MiniMe]

53. Try adding a little lemon

It is good that way.

[Obamanaut]

61. A cracker, a sliver of cheese, the sardine, a dab of mustard on top.

If you like adult beverages, your favorite beer to wash it all down.

Tasty.

[anigbrowl]

116. put them in your mouth

Really - they don't need prepping unless you feel like it.

[LWolf]

71. Have they been gutted? Deboned?

Do you eat the eyes and heads, as well?

[MajorChode]

75. The heads are usually removed, but you eat them bones and all

You don't even notice the bones as everything is quite tender. I have got them with the heads still attached and still eat them whole. It doesn't bother me in the least. Most of them that you find in the US will have the heads removed.

[eShirl]

84. the bones are my favorite part!

so soft, they practically melt in your mouth

yay CALCIUM.

[LWolf]

85. How do you reconcile yourself to eating the guts

and poop?

My cat won't even eat the intestines of her kills. She'll eat everything else, including bones (unless it's bigger prey like a rat or rabbit,) and leave me with a neat little pile of guts to clean up.

[scarletwoman]

88. Sardines are gutted. Like any fish, they're slit through the belly and cleaned out.

It leaves the bones, but the bones are softened by the cooking.

Fish are very anatomically simple. Slit them open on the underside, and just run your fingers through the opening and pull out the guts. All that's left is the flesh and bones.

sw

[LWolf]

89. I've gutted many fish.

Other posts indicated that the fish are whole in the can, and that people eat them that way. They're not? Or consumers gut them out of the can, or?

[scarletwoman]

92. All the canned sardines I've ever bought have been beheaded and gutted.

They're "whole" in that the sardine bodies are in one piece -- aside from the slitted bellies and the absence of the head.

[LWolf]

93. Good information.

I'm always looking for new sources of decent, healthy food.

Thanks! :hi:

[Retrograde]

114. If you're gutting your own sardines

and they're making a comeback on the West Coast - do it outside or your kitchen will smell like fish for a week.

The canned ones are already gutted and beheaded. I don't remember ever finding bones in them: of there were any left in, the canning processes pretty much dissolves them.

I love sardines, and have gotten Mr. Retrograde to eat them. My mother refuses to have them anywhere near her, since they remind her of the Great Depression.

[Politicalboi]

113. LOL!

My cat does the same thing with pocket gophers here, and she sometimes leaves the head too. Right on my mom's new front door mat. LOL!

[muriel_volestrangler]

125. Sardines have been overfished in the past

See eg
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106468541
http://www.brazzilmag.com/component/content/article/83-march-2010/11967-overfishing-is-forcing-brazil-to-import-seafood.html

I'm sure if everyone decided to have them twice a week, they'd be overfished again.

[The Magistrate]

3. Especially Packed In Olive Oil, Sir

The best to my mind are the larger ones to be found in Middle Eastern groceries.

[texastoast]

4. On crackers. With mustard. Oh, yum.

And what great protein at such a small price. Oh, to be back in the days of early food budgets and living in student filth.

[msongs]

6. after you've eaten sardines to extinction then what will you eat? nt

[Berserker]

26. I have tried

eating sardines to extinction but they always restock the shelves. Mustard sardines on wheat bread Yeah Boy.

[Uzybone]

52. infants of course

duh

[awoke_in_2003]

104. no...

infants come after kitties :)

[Kaleva]

7. To save on birth control devices twice a week?

[Donnachaidh]

8. having worked in a sardine factory during high school summer

They may be packed with vitamins but I cannot CANNOT abide or get past that smell. No way!

[kestrel91316]

60. No need to fret. Leaves more for the rest of us.

[tabatha]

10. I eat sardines twice a week.

They are the best food for a day long outing. Ready to eat for lunch.

[cherokeeprogressive]

12. California Girl Sardines and a sleeve of Saltines... with a frosty mug of Barley Pop!

I could make a whole meal outta that!

[Cirque du So-What]

13. I've been a sardine aficionado for as long as I can remember

Personally, I prefer the smaller ones. It's a matter of aesthetics. The bigger ones don't fit entirely on a cracker, and I don't like getting an anatomy lesson when I have to 'dissect' them.

[slampoet]

14. The Portuguese have a lot of great recipes for sardines if you get stumped

[tainted_chimp]

15. I dig 'em on Wasa crackers.

I put a little homemade fresh salsa on the cracker, then slap a sardine on, and......Mmmmm!

[vixengrl]

99. I *like* that idea--

that would even make a neat appetizer for entertaining. I'd probably put them on an eggplant spread...

(I think I'm heading for a "bedtime snack". :))

[flvegan]

16. "great source of nonmeat vitamin B12"

So sardines aren't meat now? What great news!

:eyes:

[Toucano]

78. Meat, fish, and poultry are three different things.

I think the distinction has a religious origin, but it's been that way for a LONG time.

[flvegan]

91. Hm.

They didn't say non-poultry, which is now enhanced with omega 3. Didn't say non-egg, either. I'll stick with my original theory.

[Toucano]

98. It doesn't say non-legume protein either. What difference does that make?

Human civilizations have long made a distinction between meat and fish.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_%28food%29#cite_note-0 {emphasis added}

Religious rites and rituals regarding food also tend to classify the birds of the air and the fish of the sea separately from land-bound mammals. Sea-bound mammals are often treated as fish under religious laws - as in Jewish dietary law, which forbids the eating of whale, dolphin, porpoise, and orca because they are not "fish with fins and scales"; nor, as mammals, do they chew their cud and have cloven hooves, as required by Leviticus 11: 9-12. Jewish (kosher) practice treat fish differently from other animal foods. The distinction between fish and "meat" is codified by the Jewish dietary law of kashrut, regarding the mixing of milk and meat, which does not forbid the mixing of milk and fish. Modern Jewish legal practice (halakha) on kashrut classifies the flesh of both mammals and birds as "meat"; fish are considered to be parve, neither meat nor a dairy food.

Seasonal religious prohibitions against eating meat do not usually include fish. For example, non-fish meat was forbidden during Lent and on all Fridays of the year in pre-Vatican II Roman Catholicism, but fish was permitted (as were eggs). (See Fasting in Catholicism.) In Eastern Orthodoxy, fish is permitted on some fast days when other meat is forbidden, but stricter fast days also prohibit fish with spines, while permitting invertebrate seafood such as shrimp and oysters, considering them "fish without blood."

Some Buddhists and Hindus (Brahmins of West Bengal, Orissa and Saraswat Brahmins of the Konkan) abjure meat that is not fish. For hundreds of years before the opening of Japan, most Japanese did not eat meat other than fish. In addition to the fact that Japan is an island nation, this can been seen as a cause of fish being very common in traditional Japanese food. Muslim (halaal) practice also treats fish differently from other animal foods.

You're more than welcome to ignore the distinction if it suits you, but there's no need to be ignorant of the distinction as made by others.

[flvegan]

108. Distinctions between meat and fish?

Then I guess humans are stupid. Flesh is meat, regardless what animal was wrongly butchered to stuff an ignorant palate.

And THAT is one to grow on.

[eShirl]

115. get over it

a lot of vegetables are technically fruit
ringworm isn't really a worm
etc

[Enthusiast]

119. Just for that I

will eat a steak today. I hope to perpetuate the meat eating tradition.

[mike_c]

122. anyone who claims animals aren't meat is daft IMO...

...and all their other assertions are equally suspect. Unless they're talking about vegetable sardines, of course.... :rofl:

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. I got a couple cans in the cupboard

and from time to time I get a can with tomatoes for dinner. Hell, that sounds good for dinner.

[OhioChick]

18. I tried them once and something happened....

:puke:

[bmbmd]

30. My wife caught me eating sardines from a can once.

That's how we found out she was pregnant.

[RC]

41. Did she make it to the sink in time?

[bmbmd]

70. Yes-and she was gone a long time.

She came back in to the living room and said "You know, I feel just like I did when I was pregnant".

[KittyWampus]

73. that's kind of a cute story.

:)

[bmbmd]

106. Yeah.

He's eighteen, now.

[Ignis]

112. Very sweet story.

:D

[kimmerspixelated]

19. Quinnox is right! Sardines are great!

Thanks for adding the info about mercury. I was worried about the levels in the cans, but smaller fish=less mercury so that's good to know! Yes, with mustard on crackers!

[noamnety]

20. I vote for purslane instead - a veggie source of omega3's

also packed with Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6 and Folate, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.

Best part - it's an invasive weed that many people have free unlimited access to.

[canetoad]

43. Thank you!

I have that stuff growing in my yard and had no idea of it's qualities.

NAME: Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) In Australia, it’s called Pigweed; in America, Little Hogweed

DESCRIPTION: An annual plant, this spreading, low-growing, succulent weed often invades open ground. It had paddle shaped fleshy leaves, reddish stems and tiny yellow flowers that are followed by pointed seed capsules. The seeds inside are tiny and black and highly nutritious. Australian Aborigines ground the seeds and made them into loaves. They also used the leaves as a source of Vitamin C. The leaves have a sharp and slightly salty taste. The plant has been used in the Mediterranean from ancient times as a gelatinous vegetable and a medicinal plant. It is particularly popular in Greece where it is known as glistrida.

See a picture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulaca_oleracea

ORIGIN: It has been in cultivation so long its origins are unclear (probably southern Europe and central Asia) and it is now very widespread throughout the world, including Australia.

CULTIVATION: A weed of gardens and agriculture, it readily colonises open ground and is very drought tolerant. If you have ever grown a vegetable garden, odds are that you would have pulled out pigweed at some stage. It may well be more nutritious than the conventional vegetables you are growing.

USES: The seeds of purslane or pigweed have recently been found to be an excellent source of 'Omega 3' fatty acids, and research is being done into how they may be utilised to improve our diet. They may be fed to pigs and poultry to improve the Omega 3 content of their meat and eggs. The leaves can also be used as a substitute for spinach, as a salad vegetable or included in cooked meat dishes. Traditionally, purslane was valued as a treatment for digestive disorders, as an anti-inflammatory and for respiratory problems.

[noamnety]

110. I wouldn't have known

except I used to have a plot in a community garden that was mostly foreigners - I finally caught on that Americans were pulling and tossing the purslane in frustration while they were pulling it and putting it in the same basket as the rest of their harvest. :)

[PuraVidaDreamin]

21. Does it count if you make a Caesar Salad dressing with them?

I often use them to make a Greek Salad dressing too.

[drm604]

22. I love sardines.

I usually get them packed in mustard or ketchup. I open a tin and put them between two slices of wheat bread.
Sardine sandwich! :loveya:

[bluerum]

23. Rec'ng the sardine thread.

[Curmudgeoness]

25. Ain't happening, I don't care if they have magic powers. nt

[Monique1]

31. Sardines - yummy

I put sardines on triscuits and place onion on top of it. Great meal.

[cadmium]

29. Used to be considered a fancy sandwich

mustard, a small slice of onion, and rye bread

[eShirl]

33. best part is the bone

how it squish-crumbles in your teeth

[PufPuf23]

34. I'll have to get some. Yum.

In my childhood, my outdoor trips with my Dad and Grandfather Van had sardines and saltine crackers for food. When I was younger and an avid backpacker, sardines were a great, fast, and light energy food. They had slipped from my attention.

[scarletwoman]

36. I've loved sardines my whole life ever since my Norwegian Grandpa turned me on to them when I was 2.

I always keep a stash of sardines in my pantry. Plain, packed in tomato paste, packed in mustard -- I always make sure my sardine stash is replenished so I never run out.

I make a mean sardine hash -- sardines, potatoes, carrots, celery, onions -- dice the veggies and fry them in a little vegetable oil, add the sardines, breaking them up as you stir them in with the veggies, season with a little thyme and rosemary and garlic... It's one of my favorite breakfasts. :D

sw

[marybourg]

37. Sardines are getting larger!

I've been eating the same 2 brands of sardines for many years & have noticed that lately the sardines in the cans are fewer but larger, much larger! Anybody know why?

[pokercat999]

38. Eat BAIT? Are you crazy? nt

[SammyWinstonJack]

42. ROFL!

:rofl: "Ever eat a pine tree? Many parts are quite edible." Or something like that. :silly:

[madmax]

44. Sardines!! I'm Portuguese

Need I say more :)

[Whisp]

45. they are good! I love them.

I put a little bit of white vinegar on the sardines, mmmm good.

and I don't fillet them, I eat the guts and everything! nom nom!

[bobbolink]

46. For some reason, the idea of eating fish poop just isn't enchanting to me.

[Whisp]

49. I eat the very small ones, you can't even see some of the innards.

or at least you can't when you have your eyes closed. haha.

another eye closer for me is cooking up esgargot in a pan of butter and garlic.

they are shocking to look at! I really do close my eyes when I chop those babies up.

[scarletwoman]

54. Mmmm... Escargot!

I got so spoiled when I lived in France. Escargot, raw oysters on the half shell, baguettes and wine with every meal...

*sigh*

[pipi_k]

57. Now here's something that doesn't make sense...

I love whole bellied clams (squish squish squish)


But the idea of eating sardine poo makes me ill

[Matariki]

48. Whenever these sort of articles appear, the new wonder food triples in price.

Sardines are great - but let's keep this a secret, okay? ;-)

[conscious evolution]

51. walnuts,pot, and whole flax have higher levels of O-3

Also,cut back on Omega-6 oils as it competes with O-3 in cellular uptake.High levels of O-6 is also associated with a host of health problems.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-6_fatty_acid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-3_fatty_acid

Btw,Cannabis sativa also has high levels of Omega-3.

[Sebastian Doyle]

100. You could make a Hell of a healthy brownie then

Pot, walnuts, ground up flax seed....along with the chocolate goodness, of course.

[pipi_k]

55. The year: 1987.... The place: Upper NY State

deep dark woods, camping trip with a man friend.

All we had for supper was sardines on Pita Bread.



Never. Again.

Like someone above said...I don't care if they have magical powers.


OK...if eating one could cause me to lose about 50 lbs. I might consider it.


Otherwise, no sardine that knows what's good for it will ever set fin next to me.

[kestrel91316]

56. I LOVE sardines. Especially when packed in mustard sauce.

[Kingofalldems]

59. Pardon my ignorance but are they pre-cooked?

If they are raw I want no parts of them.

[Gold Metal Flake]

66. They are cooked in the can.

They can them, cook them,label them, box them and ship them. So they are germ-free and ready to eat anytime you open the can.

[druidity33]

62. ugh... just, never. blechh. nt.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

63. They look so gross... (my dad loves them). I might give them a try if they really are good for me.

[MineralMan]

64. I love the mustard-packed ones on saltine crackers.

I've also used them with spaghetti, some sun-dried tomatoes, green onions and olive oil. Not the mustard-packed ones, though...the plain oil packed ones. Yum! My wife won't stay in the same room with me, though, when I eat them.

Anchovy filets rolled around a caper, too. My favorite hors d'oeuvre. I make 'em. Nobody else eats 'em, so I get 'em all! Woohoo!

[MilesColtrane]

67. I'll have plenty of time to eat cat food in my old age, if things continue the way they are going.

Until then, no thanks.

[cwydro]

68. How about kippers?

I love them and I think they are good too, right?

[TheCentepedeShoes]

79. Kippers

remind me of the "dead guest" episode of Fawlty Towers
The kippers were "off"

[Sebastian Doyle]

102. I was thinking the "Dimension Jump" episode of Red Dwarf, actually.

[eShirl]

83. aren't both just differently prepared herring?

tho sardines can be other small fish

[Prometheus Bound]

69. You just made me eat a tin of sardines on toast for breakfast.

I tried some thousand island dressing on one toast sandwich. Not bad.

[KittyWampus]

81. Hey, I checked your profile and you're in China. How cool is that?

[Earth_First]

72. A tin of sardines, a nice hunk of crusty bread, and a glass of milk...

or if I'm really splurging, a bottle of merlot.

Now THAT is a meal!

[GreenPartyVoter]

74. Ima gonna stick with my Omega 3 capsules. Just really not a fish eater.

:hi:

[Doeed]

76. I'm not eating sardines twice in my lifetime.

Once was enough.

[Native]

77. about the tuna - if you like albacore but don't want the mercury, try tongol tuna

tastes like albacore, but it's a smaller fish with merc levels more along the lines of light tuna. Whole Foods carries tongol tuna, and it's pretty durn cheap.

[donco6]

80. LOve them. Used to eat them when we were little and had nothing.

A tin of sardines in mustard sauce was often dinner. SEriously. But I learned to like them, and now I buy them at the Dollar store - they have them cheap.

[lapislzi]

82. Loooooove sardines

If you're lucky enough to live in a place that sells them in tomato sauce....yum! Sardines on toast: best midnight snack ever!

[IDemo]

86. If they are anything like kippers, thanks but no

An old roommate used to eat kippers (herring?) and the ghastly smell about knocked me out.

Baked halibut, salmon, or fish tacos with tilapia, now you're talking.

[HughMoran]

87. Tried that. Got gout.

I love sardines and know that they're good, but when I ate them 2-3 times a week, I got gout :(

OWWWWW!! Most painful thing ever.

[LWolf]

90. One more question:

What waters do sardines come from? Oceans? Any of them? Bays and harbors? Farms?

[Texasgal]

94. blech!!!

They sound NASTY!

[applegrove]

97. I think tilapia is very low in mercury too. Though I don't know about omega 3 s .

[mike r]

101. The tastiest and least smelly brand:

Vigo Spanish Sardines in Oil with Lemon

[REP]

103. Sssh! Don't tell people how tasty they are or they'll eat all MY sardines!

I've always loved 'em.

[undergroundpanther]

105. I don't like sardines,Uggh

But I eat them in pill form

and anchovies make me shudder,my mom used to get them on half of a pizza the whole pizza was contaminated with the awful taste.
Glad the health benefits of these nasty tasting fish can be found in other forms.

[populistdriven]

107. take em on dates!

[cynatnite]

109. I guess it's not very progressive of me when I go ICK!. n/t

[donheld]

111. Sardines! Not once EVER.

:puke:

[tilsammans]

117. King Oscar sardines in olive oil, on rye toast w/Dijon mustard

Yum! That's lunch for me a coupla times a week.

(I'm Scandinavian -- grew up on this stuff.)

[DCBob]

118. Love em! I eat about 5 cans a week..

Cheap and delish!

[Enthusiast]

120. I love Sardines!

And as several have said, the bones are the best part.

[Cal33]

121. You're correct. But don't eat sardines more than twice a week.

I did. I ate it almost every day for more than a year because of its rich content
in omega-3-fatty acids, and developed gout.