The Best Tasting Canned Fish
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, mackerel, or salmon. 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 Mediterranean Mackerel is my favorite 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 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 used to make tuna salad. I prefer 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 much better than most store brands. The one below is similar to Cento, but in water instead of oil.


Even better is American Tuna. It is more expensive, but it the tuna tastes like a steak. It has no added water or oil. Harmon’s grocery store carries it.
The Wal-Mart brand 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.
Honorable mention goes to Fishwife. Their Tuna, Salmon, and Sardines taste amazing. But at $9 per can, I only serve it for special occasions. Check their website for offers.

Sardines
Canned sardines have a “fish” flavor. Even the expensive brands. Season and King Oscar brands are relatively mild. Sardines can be put on toast, or on top of a rice bowl with veggies.
Costco and Walmart carry the Season brand of sardines. These have a mild, more bland 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.
Fishwife has the most fresh-tasting sardines. But if you’re going to spend $9 on a can of fish, get salmon or mackerel instead.
