Are Canned Sardines Healthy? Nutritional Values, Omega-3, and Mercury at a Glance
We are often asked this question, and the honest answer begins with a caveat: as retailers, we cannot claim that a food is "healthy". The European Health Claims Regulation prohibits such statements – for good reason, because no single food makes you healthy. What we can do: show what is inside a can of sardines, what claims the EU has scientifically examined and approved in connection with it, and what you should look out for. The figures speak for themselves.
What is inside 100 grams of sardines in oil
The values apply to sardines in olive oil, drained, and come from the US Department of Agriculture's nutrient database (USDA FoodData Central). Depending on the fishing area, season, and manufacturer, they vary – for example, sardines caught in autumn are significantly fattier than spring fish.
| Nutrient | per 100 g | Share of reference value* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | approx. 210 kcal | 10 % |
| Protein | approx. 25 g | 50 % |
| Total fat | approx. 11 g | 16 % |
| of which omega-3 (EPA + DHA) | approx. 1.0–1.5 g | 4–6 daily portions of 250 mg |
| Calcium (with bones) | approx. 380 mg | 48 % |
| Vitamin D | approx. 5 µg | 100 % |
| Vitamin B12 | approx. 9 µg | 360 % |
| Selenium | approx. 50 µg | 90 % |
| Iron | approx. 3 mg | 21 % |
| Salt | approx. 0.8–1.3 g | 13–22 % |
*Reference amounts for daily intake according to the EU Food Information Regulation (adults). A can contains 90 to 125 g of sardines.
This means that sardines in oil meet the conditions for several nutrient-related claims as defined by the EU: they are a source of omega-3 fatty acids (the threshold is 80 mg EPA + DHA per 100 g – sardines are ten times that and more), high in protein, a source of calcium, high in vitamin D, vitamin B12 and selenium.
What the EU lets us say about it – the approved claims
Health claims about food must be scientifically examined and included in a list in the EU (Regulation 432/2012). For the nutrients that are present in sardines in significant amounts, the following formulations are approved, among others:
EPA and DHA contribute to normal heart function. The positive effect occurs with a daily intake of 250 mg of EPA and DHA – which corresponds to about a quarter of a can of sardines in oil.
DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal brain function and normal vision. The positive effect occurs with a daily intake of 250 mg of DHA.
Calcium is required for the maintenance of normal bones and teeth.
Vitamin D contributes to normal immune function and the maintenance of normal bones.
Vitamin B12 contributes to normal nervous system function and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass.
Selenium helps protect cells from oxidative stress.
These claims apply within the framework of a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
We don't say more, and you don't have to say more either. Anyone who reads the list understands why nutrition societies recommend one to two portions of oily fish per week – and why the sardine is regularly mentioned.
Mercury: Why the small sardine has an advantage here
The justified concern with seafood is methylmercury. It accumulates along the food chain: the larger and older a predatory fish is, the more it carries in it. The sardine is the opposite of a predatory fish – small, short-lived, feeds on plankton. In the measurement series of the US food authority FDA, the sardine with around 0.01 ppm mercury is at the bottom of the scale; light canned tuna is ten times that, albacore tuna thirty times, swordfish and shark around a hundred times. Within canned fish, the sardine is thus the choice with the lowest exposure – and in the consumption recommendations of the FDA and the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment for pregnant women and children, the sardine is among the species with the lowest exposure.
Salt, Purines, Oil: What you should look out for
Salt. Sardines in oil are around one gram of salt per 100 g; sardines in tomato sauce, with mustard or in marinade are often significantly higher. Anyone who has to watch their blood pressure should opt for sardines in olive oil or in their own juice and read the nutritional table on the can.
Purines. Sardines belong to the purine-richest fish along with anchovies and herring. For gout or elevated uric acid levels, the advice of nutrition counseling applies: rarely and in small quantities, or avoid entirely.
The oil. Olive oil brings its own monounsaturated fatty acids, sunflower oil mainly omega-6. Anyone who eats the oil from the can eats the calories too – drained, it is around 210 kcal per 100 g, with oil significantly more. For this, the oil from a good can tastes so good that it is better suited as a dressing than down the drain.
The can. Canned fish is coated inside. Bisphenol A (BPA) may no longer be used for food contact materials in the EU since the beginning of 2025 (Regulation 2024/3190, with transitional periods until 2026); since then, cans are coated with BPA-free lacquers.
Sardines compared with other canned fish
| per 100 g, drained | Sardines in oil | Tuna in oil | Mackerel in oil |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPA + DHA | approx. 1.0–1.5 g | approx. 0.2–0.3 g | approx. 1.5–2.5 g |
| Calcium | approx. 380 mg | approx. 10 mg | approx. 240 mg |
| Vitamin D | approx. 5 µg | approx. 1–2 µg | approx. 6–8 µg |
| Mercury (FDA average) | approx. 0.01 ppm | approx. 0.13 ppm (light) / 0.35 ppm (Albacore) | approx. 0.05 ppm (Atlantic) |
The difference in calcium is explained by the bones: In sardines, they are eaten with them, in tuna fillet not. The mackerel is the sardine with even more fat in terms of omega-3 – and also a small, short-lived fish.
Fresh or from the can?
During canning, the nutrients we are talking about are hardly lost: omega-3 fatty acids, protein, minerals and the fat-soluble vitamins largely survive the heating and storage. With calcium, the can is even at an advantage, because the bones become soft through sterilization and can be eaten with them – with fresh fish, they stay on the plate. What the can costs is vitamin B1 and a part of vitamin B6, which are heat-sensitive.
What that means for everyday life
A can of sardines in oil provides as much EPA and DHA as the approved claims require for four to six days, plus half of the daily requirement of calcium and several times the requirement of vitamin D and B12. It lasts for years, costs a few euros and needs no preparation. Anyone who brings the sardine to the table once or twice a week – on bread, in salad, in pasta – gets it with little effort. Which cans are worth it, you read in the guide The best sardines in the can; recipes you find under Preparing sardines from the can. The selection itself: Sardines from twelve canneries.
Frequently asked questions
Are sardines from the can unhealthy?
For healthy adults, there is nothing against regular consumption. To be considered are the salt content in sardines in sauce, the high purine content for gout and the calories of the oil. The mercury exposure in sardines is as low as in almost no other seafood.
How much omega-3 is in a can of sardines?
A can with 90 to 125 g of drained sardines in oil contains about 1 to 1.8 g of EPA and DHA. The approved claim for normal heart function requires 250 mg of EPA and DHA per day.
Can you eat sardines from the can every day?
From the perspective of pollutant exposure, yes – sardines are at the bottom of the mercury scale. Nutrition societies recommend one to two portions of seafood per week within the framework of a varied diet; for gout or low-salt diet, restrictions apply.
Do you have to eat the bones with them?
No, but it is worth it: The soft bones provide most of the calcium. Anyone who does not like them chooses boneless sardines without skin and bones.
Are sardines in olive oil or in water better?
Sardines in their own juice have fewer calories and usually less salt. Sardines in olive oil taste better, ripen in the can and bring the fatty acids of the olive oil with them. The omega-3 fatty acids are in both cases in the fish itself.
How much mercury do sardines contain?
According to FDA measurements, on average around 0.01 ppm – about a tenth of light canned tuna and a thirtieth of albacore. Sardines thus belong to the least exposed seafood.
