I love Sardines. Like Bird and others, I open a full can, drain off most of the olive oil, and eat with crackers. Yum!
I buy various brands, but do like the Trader Joe's Moroccan Sardines in Olive Oil.
The calories for one can is 220.
From the nutrition panel:
Calories from Fat 110
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 12g 18%
Saturated Fat 2.5g 12%
Trans Fat 0g
The good point about this fat is that is almost all Omega 3 oils, the GOOD kind. If you study up on nutrition, you'll see that the typical American diet is way too high in Omega 6 oils, and low in Omega 3.
Also, the sodium content is fine for one meal, at 280 mg per can. The adult allowance for sodium is around 2,200 mg per day. So this as a lunch would be fine. Also note, NO cholesterol. And, NO sugar.
The final good point about sardines is that as a small fish, they are caught and consumed before they can absorb many contaminants, a problem with larger fish that grow to larger size before catch.
I always feel full, satisfied and happy after eating my sardines lunch.
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 280mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 0g
Protein 26g 52%