Flag an Ingredient
  • Nutrition Hub

Sardines

Sardines are small oily fish, usually sold canned with their soft bones left in, and the bones are eaten too.
  • Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 can, drained, with bones (92g)

  • Calories: 191
  • Calories: 191
  • Fiber: 0g
  • Sugar: 0g
  • Protein: 22.7g
  • Fat: 10.5g
  • Key Nutrients
Vitamin B12, Selenium, Calcium, Omega-3 Fats
  • Key Vitamins
Vitamin B12 (343% DV), Niacin (B3) (30% DV), Vitamin D (22% DV), Riboflavin (B2) (16% DV), Vitamin E (13% DV), Pantothenic Acid (B5) (12% DV), Vitamin B6 (9% DV), Thiamin (B1) (6% DV), Vitamin A (3% DV), Folate (2% DV), Vitamin K (2% DV)
  • Essential Minerals
Selenium (88% DV), Phosphorus (36% DV), Calcium (27% DV), Copper (19% DV), Iron (15% DV), Zinc (11% DV), Magnesium (9% DV), Potassium (8% DV), Manganese (4% DV)
  • Glycemic Impact
What’s This?
  • Glycemic Index (GI)
  • GI Score
  • Glycemic Load (GL)
  • GI per 100g:
  • Impact
  • Glycemic Scale Rating
Low
0-55
Medium
56-69
High
70+
0 20 40 60 80 100

No glycemic index number is listed for this food yet.

Four whole fresh sardines on a white background
Four whole fresh sardines on a white background
  • Health Benefits:

    • A drained can is high in vitamin B12, which contributes to normal red blood cell formation, and in selenium, which contributes to the normal function of the immune system.

    • Eaten with the bones, it is also high in calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D, three nutrients the EU links to the maintenance of normal bones.

    • It carries about 900 mg of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA, and the EU ties 250 mg of the two a day to the normal function of the heart (Regulation (EU) No 432/2012).

    • Mercury: sardines sit in the lowest-mercury group of the FDA and EPA fish advice, but as an oily fish they carry more dioxins, so the UK advises girls and women who may have a child to keep oily fish to 2 portions a week (NHS).

    • The can: canned fish is one route for BPA from can linings, and a can adds about 280 mg of sodium.
Back

Start Making Healthier Choices Today

Join a growing community of people who are choosing clarity over confusion, and progress over perfection.

Contact Us

What’s This?

Glycemic Index (GI)

GI measures how fast a food raises blood sugar.

Glycemic Load (GL)

Tells you how big that rise actually is once portion size is factored in.

Example:

Watermelon has a high GI (it digests quickly) but a low GL because a normal serving doesn’t
contain many carbs so the actual blood-sugar impact is small.

Why it matters:

Understanding both GI and GL gives you a clearer picture of how foods affect your blood sugar both the speed of the rise and the true impact based on the portion you eat.