Sardines are tasty additions to salads and sandwiches, and you can also use them in spreads and other appetizer recipes. They are easy to prepare or can be eaten straight from the can. When you eat them in moderation as part of an overall balanced diet, sardines may provide a variety of benefits.
Basic Information
Canned Atlantic sardines have 208 calories in 100 grams, or 3.5 ounces. They have 24.6 grams of protein, or 49 percent of the daily value. Protein is essential for maintaining your lean muscle mass and promoting a strong immune system. Sardines have 11.5 grams of total fat, including only 1.5 grams of cholesterol-raising saturated fat. This serving of sardines also contains 142 milligrams of cholesterol, or 47 percent of the daily value.
Omega-Three Fats
Eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, are long-chain omega-three fats, which may lower your risk for heart disease when you get an average of 250 milligrams of DHA plus EPA per day, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Each 3.5-ounce serving of sardines provides 473 milligrams of EPA and 509 milligrams of DHA. Fatty fish and shellfish are the best sources of EPA and DHA; other good sources include anchovies, tuna, salmon, herring, scallops, mussels and oysters.
Minerals
Sardines have 505 milligrams of sodium in 3.5 ounces. A high-sodium diet can cause high blood pressure, and healthy adults should not get more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Sardines are a good source of calcium; a 3.5-ounce serving has 382 milligrams, or 38 percent of the daily value for calcium. It also has 2.9 milligrams of iron, or 16 percent of the daily value, and is a good source of magnesium and zinc, as well.
Vitamins
Each 3.5-ounce serving of canned sardines provides 193 international units of vitamin D, or 48 percent of the daily value. Vitamin D increases your body’s ability to absorb calcium from food. The sardines have 8.9 micrograms of vitamin B-12, or 74 percent of the daily value. They have 2 milligrams of vitamin E, or 13 percent of the daily value for this antioxidant vitamin. Sardines also provide riboflavin, niacin and vitamin B-6.
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