Love those sardines
Why is it that more people don’t eat sardines (also called herring)? They’re one of those great species of fish that has everything going for it: sustainable, widely available, safe from nasty contaminants, and absolutely stuffed with good omega-3 fats (you’ll always see sardines appear in the same list as salmon, two of the richest sources of these heart-healthy fats).
In canned sardines, you can usually even eat the delicate bones (you won’t even notice them; they get softened during processing), which provide a good dose of calcium, and they’re a natural source of vitamin D. I’m on a crusade to get people to try them; they’re mild and delicious, good by themselves or on crackers or mixed with eggs or olives or hearty vegetables. I love the ones from Bela-Olhao; wild-caught off the coast of Portugal, these terrific sardines are packed in different flavors: olive oil, lemon, tomato, and cayenne pepper. If you find fresh sardines at your market, take some home and grill them. And keep a couple cans in your pantry; they’re a terrific take-along meal. (Do compare labels for sodium and calories; depending on what they’re packed in, these amounts can vary wildly.)
Related Topics: Food, Nutrition, From the Editors
May 14th, 2008 at 11:23 am
I loved sardines when I was a kid. I don’t know why I haven’t gotten them more as an adult, esp. now that I’m pregnant; I will defintely pick some up at the market!
May 14th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Elisa,
This week’s New Yorker has an article that touches on this very topic — the idea that if people would more often eat fish near the middle or bottom of the food chain (like sardines or herring), the oceans would be healthier, and so would we, too. Please provide more recipes using these species, and I think that’ll help people change their eating habits. I plan to use your suggestions above.
May 14th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
I know, I just read that article last night — after I’d written the blog! And then I forwarded it to the entire DL team. It’s called “The Last Bite.” Excellent reading.
May 14th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I was just talking with my dad about how sardines are so underrated! If you guys haven’t tried our recipe for Broiled Sardines with Fennel and Olives, you should check it out–it’s totally addictive. (I probably ate half a pan the day we tested the recipe!)
http://deliciouslivingmag.com/food/recipes/entrees/fish/broiled-sardines-fennel-olives/index.html
May 19th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Sardines are great with white beans, a little garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley & red onions. Mash it all together and pile it on bruschetta or make a salad of the beans and flavorings and layer it with sardines and serve it on a bed of baby greens. Or just do white beans, olive oil and sardines roughly mashed on toast for breakfast.
The Bela-olhao sardines make a great take-along snack too, but don’t make the mistake I did of leaving a can of sardines in the side pocket of my bag when I checked it in at the airport….how do you get sardine oil out of a suitcase?
May 29th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
I’m always looking for easy, nutritious, good tasting stuff for lunch. Sardines sound great. Will pick some up at the market. Thanks. MP