Anyone For Sardines?
Remember that famous saying “you are what you eat”? If that was the case, I would be a sardine… I perhaps do have sardine-like characteristics with my big eyes and uncanny ability to swim underwater. Not really selling myself am I?
You know what sardines are. Those small fish that are usually canned. They are sold everywhere.
I have a few select foods that I include in my daily diet, they have to be cost effective, bursting with nutrients, tasty and easy to prepare. Sardines have passed the test with flying colours. In fact if I was stranded on a desert island and I was only allowed one food, I would take sardines (no, I can’t fish – the irony).
So what fuels my fishy obsession?
To answer that question, just take a look at their nutritional make up:
1 can (3.75 ounces, or 92 grams) of sardines will get you vast amounts of you Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of:
Vitamins
100% of Vitamin B12
63% of Vitamin D
24% of Vitamin B3
12% of Vitamin B2
As well as slightly smaller amounts of every other vitamin except for Vitamin C.
Minerals
35% of Calcium
69% of Selenium
45% of Phosphorus
15% of Iron
9% of Magnesium
9% of Copper
8% of Zinc
Fats
Although there is currently no official RDA for omega-3 fats in the UK, a daily intake of 450mg as a minimum is suggested, although some individuals with particular health issues are advised to consume as much as 4000mg. I would like to point out that in the West our processed and high sugar diet means we consume on average 25 times more omega-6 than omega-3! Even the health conscious will have boosted omega-6 from foods such as nuts and seeds, which are laden with omega-6.
It is thought that among hunter-gatherer populations, omega-3 fats and omega-6 fats are typically consumed in roughly a 1:1 ratio.
It may sound like an overwhelming task to get your fat ratios in order, especially as you look at your current intake of omega-3. But do not fear! Sardines to the rescue!
1 can contains a whopping 2,200mg of omega-3 fat.
This makes the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 12:1 in sardines, which will balance out the excess inflammatory omega-6 in the rest of our diet. This will certainly help with that homeostasis in the body.
Protein
A can contains 20-25g of protein. This is an excellent repair remedy for a hard work out.
If you’re not dashing out of the door to get your hands on this health nectar yet, these small and mighty fish are also close to the bottom of the ocean food chain, which makes them much less likely to be contaminated with mercury or other toxins. A clean food (apart from the BPA… I’ll come on to that…) in a world where most of our food is tainted with nasties.
How to eat them?
If you’re a hardcore sardine fanatic, straight out of the tin. For the rest of us, throw them into a fish curry or pie, have them with a Greek salad or try them on some oat cakes with a homemade pesto or tomato sauce.
Please don’t be put off by the small… How do I say this… Spine. You can’t taste it, it’s good for you, eat it. (You can get filleted sardines, but you’re missing out on vital calcium)
So I hope this sets off a sardine revolution. Don’t worry about their numbers getting gobbled up, they have been “super green listed” as environmentally friendly.
To summarise. This is ridiculous. They are tiny! Their nutrient power-to-weight ratio is unmatched. Go and try a can.
A note about BPA:
There are sardines available in BPA-free cans. Which you pay a little extra for. However I eat sardines from BPA-containing tins (I’m tight with my money) as the benefits far outweigh the negative impact of BPA in my opinion.
Dorchester personal trainer - Dave Wall - www.dorchesterpersonaltraining.co.uk
