Are you looking for a practical fish, already ready, but more interesting than tuna for omega-3? The best-supported answer is simple: canned sardines provide much more EPA and DHA omega-3 than natural tuna, in equal portions.
Tuna remains a food rich in protein. But if your goal is primarily to increase omega-3s from fish, sardines tick that box better.
Why canned sardines significantly outperform tuna
Not all canned fish is nutritionally equal. Natural tuna is a very lean fish once drained. Sardines in oil are fattier: this is precisely what explains their higher content of long-chain omega-3.
The gap is significant. According to a table cited by the French Pediatric Society based on Anses-Ciqual data, 100 g of drained sardines in olive oil provide approximately 1.24 g of EPA and 1.68 g of DHA. For 100 g of drained natural tuna, the values indicated are approximately 0.021 g of EPA and 0.143 g of DHA.
These two fatty acids, EPA and DHA, are those that we especially look for in fatty fish. ANSES reminds that DHA must also be provided through food, because the conversion from ALA, omega-3 of plant origin, is too low to cover needs. In short: nuts, rapeseed or flax have their interest, but oily fish directly provide these long chain forms. You can find a broader reminder on food sources of omega-3 EPA and DHA.
This should not be made a medical promise: omega-3 does not replace a balanced diet or physical activity. But they directly provide EPA and DHA, nutrients involved in several functions of the body, notably cardiovascular, visual and cerebral.
How to enjoy it without always eating the same fish
The can of sardines has a very concrete advantage: it avoids cooking and is easy to store. It can therefore help people who would like to eat more fish but who feel held back by the preparation, the smell or the lack of ideas in the kitchen.
However, the right guideline is not to eat it every day. French recommendations, taken up by Health Insurance according to ANSES, recommend two servings of fish per week, including one serving of fatty fish rich in EPA and DHA. They also insist on varying the species and places of supply.
In practice, sardines can take the place of tuna in several simple meals, without transforming your diet around a single product:
- Alternate sardines with other fatty fish such as mackerel, herring or salmon;
- Keep the tuna natural for meals where you are mainly looking for a source of protein;
- Choose canned sardines as a quick option when you don’t have fresh or frozen fish;
- Avoid relying on just one species of fish all year.
This point of variety also counts for pollutants. It is not a question of presenting tuna as dangerous for everyone: natural tuna should not be banned as part of a varied diet.
On the other hand, Health Insurance points out that tuna is one of the wild predatory fish to be limited for certain populations, due to methylmercury.
This caution mainly concerns pregnancy, breastfeeding and young children: pregnant or breastfeeding women and children under 3 years old must limit predatory fish, including tuna. For the rest of the population, the main guideline remains to eat fish twice a week, varying the species.
If you are used to opening a can of tuna out of reflex, the sardine deserves a place in the cupboard. It does not replace all fish, but it offers a simple solution to include fatty fish richest in omega-3 more often, without complicating meals.
META DESCRIPTION: Practical and inexpensive, canned sardines provide much more EPA and DHA omega-3 than natural tuna. Here’s how to choose them.