Seafood is something that is enjoyed by the majority of people around the world. Some cultures and countries eat seafood as a staple meal. Others simply enjoy it as a snack or once-in-a-while meal.
Seafood is nutritious, filling, affordable, and easy to eat. There are countless benefits you can receive from including more of it in your diet.
The beautiful thing about canned seafood is that there are so many different varieties to try. Some examples are tuna, sardines, oysters, salmon, and anchovies. Within these different kinds of seafood, you will find even more variety depending on the species, recipe, etc.
How do you know what the best canned seafood is? Is water-based or oil-based fish better? Does the species mater? We’ll answer all these questions and more in this comprehensive guide.
Different Types & Varieties of Canned Seafood
There are so many different types of canned seafood. Below are just a few out of the many different options you have.
- Herring
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Mackerel
- Albacore Tuna
- Crabmeat
- Clams
- Baby Shrimp
- Anchovies
- Oysters
- Yellowfin Tuna
- Octopus
- Trout
Once you find seafood you want to purchase, you’ll then need to ask yourself if you want the seafood to be in water or oil. Do you want it flavored, or not? Smoky, or regular? Do you want freshwater, or saltwater fish? All of these answers will help you narrow down your options until you find the perfect canned seafood to suit your needs.
Let’s get started on listing the best canned seafood brands!
Reviews of the Best canned seafoods
Genova Yellowfin Tuna in Pure Olive Oil
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Genova Yellowfin Tuna in Pure Olive Oil is a favorite of many. Yellowfin tuna is known for its exceptional culinary qualities around the world.
Genova is a company that doesn’t just care about making high-quality seafood products. They have a passion for human rights, health, and the environment as well.
Every single 5 ounce can of this tuna is Non-GMO project certified. All of the tuna is from an MSC certified sustainable fishery, which is shown on the can as “Certified Sustainable Seafood by MSC.”
The tuna fish used in this recipe are wild caught. This company also has a “Dolphin Safe” certification. The motto of Genova is: “Premium Tuna. Incredible Taste. Responsibly Caught.” They have full traceability of all their seafood.
The Yellowfin tuna fillets are hand selected, so you only get the best. Since the tuna are of the highest quality, it only makes sense for the olive oil to be too. The olive oil is as pure as it gets.
Ingredients & Nutrition
The ingredients are extremely minimal due to their high-quality. Solid Light Yellowfin Tuna, Olive Oil, and Salt. It doesn’t get any simpler than that! No preservatives, no additives, just all natural ingredients. Everything is certified Kosher as well.
Nutritionally, this tuna is amazing. Per 1/4 cup, there are 5 grams of fat, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 100 calories, and 14 grams of protein. This is the perfect snack for those following a low carb or high protein diet. This tuna is also high in omega-3s fatty acids.
This rich and savory tuna can be easily opened without a can opener, which is very handy. It was canned in the USA, and the tuna was caught in Thailand.
One final reason that this brand made it onto our list is because of their ethics. They provide safe and legal employment to everyone. They also give back to their local community in the form of donations, education, and free food.
Get the look: Genova Yellowfin Tuna in Pure Olive Oil
StarKist Chunk Light Tuna in Water
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StarKist might just be one of the most popular brands of light tuna in water. They offer 5 ounce cans of wild caught tuna. Unlike the tuna in olive oil we featured above, this won’t have a rich and powerful taste – instead, it has a nice natural and mild flavor.
This milder flavor is great for tuna salads and any type of hot casserole. The chunk shape of the tuna works perfectly for those dishes too.
Since the tuna is in water, it’s naturally lower in calories. Per the entire can, it’s only 90 calories. You’ll also get 20 grams of protein. It’s nutrient-dense and full of Omega-3s. To be exact, it contains 180 milligrams of DHA & EPA per each serving.
This tuna is great for those following a Keto, Paleo, Mediterranean, Weight Watchers or Whole30 diet plan. It’s soy-free and gluten-free. This brand also has a dolphin-safe certification.
The ingredients of this tuna are: Light Tuna, Water, Vegetable Broth, Salt. The vegetable broth adds a unique and delicious depth of flavor to it.
Get the look: StarKist Chunk Light Tuna in Water
Chicken of the Sea White Albacore Tuna in Water, Solid
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White Albacore Tuna is commonly found in solid form since it’s such a large fish. Chicken of the Sea makes amazing solid Albacore tuna in water. Their tuna is known for being high-quality and affordable.
This tuna is wild caught from deep waters, and dolphin-safe certified. It’s also Non-GMO Project Certified. The 5 ounce cans need a can opener to open them.
Albacore tuna is known for its flavor, texture, and appearance. It makes a fast, nutritious meal with no preparation needed. It’s full of Omega-3s, calcium, protein, and more. It contains 0 grams of carbs, so it’s good for those on a low carb diet.
This tuna is fully traceable, from ocean to plate. This shows a deep level of transparency in a company. All of the tuna is canned in the USA.
The ingredients are: Solid White Tuna, Water, Vegetable Broth (Contains Soy), Salt, and Pyrophosphate. The last ingredient is defined as “ a salt or ester of pyrophosphoric acid.”
Get the look: Chicken of the Sea White Albacore Tuna in Water
Wild Planet Wild Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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Sardines are a type of seafood that some people love, and others hate. It seems to be one or the other. If you’re one of those who love sardines, this brand is a must-try if you haven’t already. Even if you don’t normally like sardines, you might like these! Or, you might want to eat them for the nutritional qualities.
These sardines are lightly smoked to enhance their flavor and enhance their “meatiness.” They come in 4.4 ounce cans, and like most canned seafood, they’re great for Keto and Paleo diets.
Sardines are truly nutritional powerhouses. They contain so many essential vitamins and minerals. This includes Omega-3, protein, calcium, and iron. Per serving, they contain an impressive 1,800 mg of omega-3s an 18 grams of protein.
These sardines are ready-to-eat. They were cleaned in advance and they’re also scale-free. They make a good addition to sandwiches and salads, or any savory dish in general.
These sardines are sustainably sourced. The company uses the only method of sustainable sardine fishing which is called purse-seine fishing. This ensures that the rest of the ocean creatures are protected.
Sardines are one of the more sustainable fishes to eat because they’re very low on the food chain. They have a lower carbon footprint than other fish, and there’s always an abundance of them.
These sardines come from the North Pacific. They were harvested from well-managed fisheries that don’t damage any habitats in the process.
The ingredients for these sardines are: Sardines, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Water, Sea Salt, and Aqueous Natural Smoke. Completely natural and healthy ingredients. Everything is Non-GMO Project Certified and Kosher certified.
Due to the freshness, these sardines need to be refrigerated after opening.
Get the look: Wild Planet Wild Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Wild Planet, Wild Pink Salmon
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If you enjoy canned salmon, this is one of the best brands. Wild Planet Salmon harvests wild pink salmon from the icy waters of Alaska.
They’re caught by a gill-net and it happens very quickly, in just a few weeks. A shorter harvesting period lets some of the salmon escape the net, purposefully. This helps to sustain the natural salmon population, and it prevents overfishing as well.
The cans are 7 ounces each, and they’re always fresh. This company is unique in the way that it cooks the fish directly in the can.
The fresh fillets (which have already been skinned and boned by this point) are placed directly into the cans, raw. Then the cooking process begins. Cooking the salmon inside the cans helps to capture and preserve all the nutrients that are commonly lost during cooking.
Wild caught pink salmon is one of the healthiest species of fish out there. It’s full of protein, Omega-3 fatty acids and more. This makes a great snack on its own, or you can make salmon cakes and other recipes.
Get the look: Wild Planet, Wild Pink Salmon
Roland Oysters, Petite Smoked
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These handpicked Oysters by Roland Foods are smoked and delicious. They come in 3-ounce cans. Roland Foods has been around for 79 years, so they have plenty of experience and have perfected all their recipes.
These oysters were carefully harvested from pacific waters. They’re packed without their shells. If you haven’t had oysters before, they’re dark brown in color, and quite mild in flavor. They’re nice and firm, but they shouldn’t be chewy.
These oysters can be enjoyed straight from the can as a snack. They’re gluten-free, and there are 20 oysters per can.
The ingredients are: Smoked Oysters, Cottonseed Oil, Salt. Simple and delicious. In terms of their nutrition, per 1/3 cup serving there are 100 calories and 5 grams of healthy fat. You’ll also receive 30% of your daily iron needs, so it’s great for those who are anemic.
Get the look: Roland Oysters, Petite Smoked
Cole’s Wild Mackerel In Olive Oil
If you like fish with a fishy flavor, club mackerel might be something you enjoy. This wild mackerel is sustainably harvested from Atlantic waters in Portugal. The fish are caught with the traditional line and hook fishing method.
Even though the fish were harvested in Portugal, this is a product of Morocco. This ocean fish is skinned and deboned before it’s placed in the can. It’s also cooked with very high-quality olive oil. This enhances the flavor an keeps it nice and fresh.
The ingredients in this can are: Club Mackerel, Olive Oil, Salt. Club mackerel is one of the most nutritious fish out there. Every 4.4 ounce tin of the fish has 19 grams of protein, so it’s great for athletes or those who have a protein-based diet. Per every 1/4 cup, there are 120 calories, 10% of your calcium, 15% of your vitamin D, some iron, and potassium.
It’s gluten-free, and there aren’t any preservatives or additives. Club mackerel also contains high amounts of DHA and EPA, which we need for brain health.
Get the look: Cole’s Wild Mackerel In Olive Oil
You may also like: Best Canned Peaches, Best Oyster Sauce
Ideas For Consuming More Canned Seafood
Being able to eat canned seafood directly out of the can is nice, but sometimes it’s fun to mix things up. Canned seafood is also more affordable than fresh seafood, so it’s definitely possible to replace the canned version for fresh in some recipes online.
Here are some ideas of how you can incorporate canned seafood into your recipes and meals.
- Canned mackerel fish cakes
- Salmon chowder
- Salmon patties
- Salmon dip
- Smoked trout and avocado toast
- Tuna casserole
- Tuna salad
- Fried sardines
- Sardine tacos
- Creamy tuna pasta
- Oyster stew
- Tuna sandwiches
These are just a handful out of the many meals you can include canned seafood in.
Conclusion
We know how overwhelming it can be shopping for something that has many different options. What route is the best to go? We hope that after reading this, you’re one step closer to finding the best canned seafood for yourself.
Even if you don’t like the first can you try, it’s always great to experiment until you do find the perfect one. It’s also nice to experiment with different recipes and ways to consume canned seafood, hopefully, we gave you a few ideas you liked. Enjoy your canned seafood!
