Fish are one of the best tasting, and nutritious snack foods. Canned fish are a convenient snack. It’s filling, and doesn’t feel heavy on your stomach. Many types of fish have been unfairly slandered by government agencies because of their supposedly high levels of mercury. Heavy metals are a concern in larger fish, such as sharks. It’s not a concern for small fish, which are available in most grocery stores. Smaller fish, such as sardines, mackerel, anchovies, and salmon are extremely nutrient-dense. Minerals, such as selenium and iodine, are needed to detoxify toxins such as mercury. So don’t feel ashamed to eat fish!

Many people say they don’t like fish. This is because they’ve tasted the cheap grocery store brands of sardines or tuna.

“I don’t like fish”

– Everyone who has tasted discount-store sardines.

Best fish for snacking, or camping trips

When I’m traveling and need a quick meal, I bring along a few cans of herring or mackerel. Most grocery stores have King Oscar brands. The Lemon or Mediterranean flavor are always in my travel bag. They cost about $2.75 per can. King Oscar Mackerel is my favorite herring among the grocery store brands.

“Kippers” are a popular snack in some regions. Kipper is a boneless fillet of herring, and a favorite in England. Bar Harbor brands are available at most grocery stores. The herring in mustard sauce is delicious, but hard to find. Bar Harbor taste a lot better than the Polar brand.

Olive oil or water

Several brands claim to use extra virgin olive oil. In almost every case, this is an outright lie. Olive oil is too expensive to be used in industry. Most brands use cheap seed oils, with a bit of olive oil for flavor.

The Best Tuna

In my family, tuna is usually used to make tuna salad. Try to get Albacore tuna. Some of the larger fish can have higher levels of mercury, and honestly, they don’t taste as good anyway. The Cento brand of Tuna tastes so good that it can be eaten all by itself, straight out of the can. The one below is similar to Cento, but in water instead of oil.

The Wal-Mart brand of Albacore tuna has a firm texture, and makes a good Tuna Salad. The Wild Planet is similar.

Like most $.99 per can brands, StarKist tuna tastes slightly better than dog food. Gourmet dog food, perhaps.

Sardines

Canned sardines have a “fishy” flavor. Even the expensive brands. If you don’t like the flavor, then stay away from sardines. Season and King Oscar brands are relatively mild.

Costco carries the Season brand of sardines. These taste great, and have a mild taste. However, I don’t like to buy skinless/boneless fish, because the skin and bones are great sources of nutrients, such as essential fats and calcium.