There’s not a big difference between sardines and herring. Both herring and sardines are very good for us because they provide high levels of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, essential fats that also play an important role in normal brain development and function.

Sardines and Herring are both members of the Herring Family – Clupeidae – a family that includes other oily, small schooling fish such as shad and anchovies. Some will market domestic herring as “Atlantic Sardines”. For Europeans, larger sardines – those generally longer than six inches – are called “pilchards”.

Highly Nutritious Herring is in the top bracket and the FDA recommends to eat herring (and other “superfish”) three times a week. While fresh herring has the most nutritional benefits, canned herring is also full of antioxidants, Omega 3 fatty acids and other valuable nutrients.

Potential Risks of Canned Sardines Sardines contain a lot of sodium. One can provides around a third of your daily value. Those with high blood pressure should restrict sodium because it attracts water and adds to the volume of blood in the body.

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First of all, sardines are loaded with protein, which helps stabilize blood sugar, makes you feel full and helps stimulate metabolism. Second, they’re a great source of omega-3s, which not only strengthen the cardiovascular system but also are helpful in boosting mood.

Cold-water oily fish such as sardines are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Indeed, the silver-scaled fish in a can are dense with nutrients. One serving of the oily pilchards packs as much as 17 grams of protein and 50 percent of your recommended daily calcium intake for just 90 to 150 calories.

Potential Health Benefits of Mussels Mussels and other shellfish are excellent sources of protein, containing all the essential amino acids. Their protein content is superior to that found in fish with fins. The protein in mussels is easy to digest, so the body gets the full benefit.

Regardless of whether or not sodium is something you monitor in your diet, I recommend always rinsing canned sardines prior to use. And because of their small size and place at the bottom of the food chain, sardines are low in contaminants, toxins and heavy metals, like mercury.

Sardines offer more vitamin E per serving than tuna, they also contain more calcium. Sardines are not best in everything, if you lack vitamin K, you will find more of it in tuna. This vitamin is needed because it plays a key role in blood clotting when injuries happen and in development of cartilage and bones.

The best canned vegetables are tomatoes, beans, green beans, corn, beets, peas, pumpkin, carrots, and artichoke hearts. Each of these vegetables is healthy, inexpensive, and taste great when they’re canned.

The fact is that while some canned seafoods are prone to contain higher levels of mercury or sodium than their fresh counterparts, the majority are perfectly safe and incredibly healthy. Based on an analysis by Consumer Reports, canned fish is as rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids as fresh or frozen fish.

The body needs more omega-3 than omega-6 to reduce the risk of heart disease and inflammation. Since olive oil is higher in omega-3 than other oils, sardines in olive oil contain more omega-3 than sardines in water; however, the sardines in water are still the better option with lower amounts of cholesterol and fat.