How many calories are in a can of sardines?

A standard 3.75 oz can, drained, is 92g and 191 calories. Two sardines lifted out of the tin come to about 50, and a full cup of drained fish is 310. Per 100g sardines canned in oil are 208 calories.

How much protein is in sardines?

24.6g of protein per 100g, which is 22.6g in a drained can. That is within a rounding error of salmon, at 25.4g of protein per 100g, and it arrives in a tin that needs no cooking and keeps for years.

Why are sardines so high in calcium?

The bones. They soften enough during canning to eat without noticing, and they take the fish to 382mg of calcium per 100g, or 351mg in one can. Boneless fillets lose most of that. Very little else in the protein aisle competes: a can covers roughly a third of an adult's 1,000mg day.

Are sardines keto-friendly?

Completely. There are 0g of carbs per 100g and 11.4g of fat per 100g, so a can is 191 calories of pure protein and fat. They are one of the few shelf-stable keto foods that needs no preparation at all.

Do sardines really have omega-3s?

Yes, and this is the reason to eat them. Sardines carry 5.1g of polyunsaturated fat per 100g, a large share of it EPA and DHA. A single can gets most people past the 250 to 500mg of combined EPA and DHA a day that health bodies suggest, which is hard to do without fatty fish or a supplement.

Are sardines a good source of vitamin D?

One of the better ones. Sardines have 4.8mcg of vitamin D per 100g, about 4.4mcg in a can, which is roughly a fifth to a quarter of the usual 15 to 20mcg daily target. Outside fatty fish and fortified milk there are not many foods that supply any.

Sardines vs canned tuna: which is better?

Tuna is leaner, at 86 calories per 100g against these 208, so it wins if calories are the only axis. Sardines win on almost everything else: calcium, vitamin D, omega-3 fat, and mercury, since a small fish that lives two or three years accumulates far less of it than a tuna does.

Are sardines too salty?

They carry 307mg of sodium per 100g, so a can is 282mg, around 12 percent of a 2,300mg day. That is real but not extreme, and it is less than most deli meat. Rinsing the drained fish knocks a little more off.

Sardines in oil or in water: does it matter?

The 208 calories per 100g here is the oil-packed row after draining, and some oil clings to the fish no matter how long you tip the tin. Water-packed sardines come in lower for the same weight. Oil packed in olive oil tastes better and holds up in the fridge once opened; if you drink the oil off, count it.