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By Sophie Van Tiggelen 3 Comments

The Scoop on Canned Sardines and the Easiest Sardine Salad Ever!

The Scoop on Canned sardines and the Easiest Sardine Salad Ever - A Squirrel in the KitchenMore often than not, I don’t have the time to cook a hot meal for lunch.  Yes, I work from home but I am very busy during the day with lots of tasks to accomplish.  So I usually have a big salad full of stuff, or “goodies” (as I like to call them), on it. sardines are a great source of protein for me. The protein in fish is very easy to digest (easier than in meat), and is packed with beneficial omega-3 fatty acids as well as a wide range of minerals and vitamins.  And it is also a welcome change from chicken!

Sardine Salad

Quick, easy, and healthy!

Doesn’t fish contain mercury? After reading what The Paleo Mom has to say on the subject in her book The Paleo Approach (page 193), I am not concerned about eating sardines a few times per month.  You see, fish at the lower end of the food chain tend to contain lower levels of mercury than bigger fish like sharks or swordfish.  Seafood also contains a lot of selenium, which binds to the mercury and makes it harder for our bodies to absorb it.  All things considered, the health benefits of eating fish far outweigh the risks.  So I’ve decided that it is safe for me to eat canned sardines once a week.

What if you are histamine intolerant?  Yes, canned fish is definitely on the list of foods high in histamine.  Some people will experience the full spectrum of histamine intolerance symptoms when eating canned sardines, while others won’t.  Individual sensitivities vary greatly, and just because you react to, say fermented foods, doesn’t mean that you will react to canned fish as well. Or you might be able to do it in small doses.  The best way to know is to try. Go slow at the beginning, maybe once a month, and then increase progressively.  If you still experience symptoms, talk about this to your medical practitioner as there are several steps that you can take to improve your gut health and tolerate foods higher in histamine.

“For anyone experiencing histamine intolerance,
strict adherence to a low-histamine diet is necessary for a period of time.

After that, smaller amounts of histamine may be tolerated depending on the person.”
Chriss Kresser

Now, all cans of sardines are not alike.  Here is a list of criteria that are important for me when buying canned sardines.

  • Read the label and make sure there aren’t any non-AIP ingredient like spices, tomato sauce, soy oil, or canola oil.
  • I like sardines with the bone-in and skin on, and I eat everything!  Why?  Eating the skin and bones is the equivalent of eating the organs of the fish, which have an incredibly high nutritional value.  I wouldn’t want to miss out on all that goodness!  So choose a can of whole sardines instead of sardine fillets!
  • Choose wild caught over farmed sardines.  Besides the fact that wild seafood is more nutritious than farm raised, I have had bad autoimmune flares when eating farmed fish in the past.  Since there is no way to track what exactly enters into the feed given to farmed fish (chemicals, antibiotics, hormones, gluten), I prefer to stick with wild caught.
  • If possible, choose sardines in extra virgin olive oil, and pour the oil over your sardine salad!  Everything is good to eat in a can of sardines, to the last drop!

Here are my personal favorites:

My first choice: Vital ChoiceThe scoop on canned sardines and the easiest sardine salad ever!

My second choice: Wild PlanetThe scoop on canned sardines and the easiest sardine salad ever!

My third choice: Season BrandThe scoop on canned sardines and the easiest sardine salad ever!

Now let’s get on to the fun part!

The Easiest Sardine Salad Ever!
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Total time
10 mins
 
This recipe is 100% autoimmune paleo protocol compliant.
Author: Sophie
Recipe type: Seafood
Cuisine: Paleo Autoimmune Protocol
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 2 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 cup chopped radicchio
  • 1/2 shredded carrots
  • 2 sardines
  • 1/2 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • Vinaigrette:
  • 3 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • Pinch fine sea salt
Instructions
  1. Place all the ingredients on your plate in the order they are listed above and enjoy!
  2. Now that wasn't so bad!
  3. Bon appétit!
3.5.3208

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above may be “affiliate links or Amazon affiliate links”. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Filed Under: AIP Seafood recipes Tagged With: AIP, autoimmune protocol, canned sardines, fish, histamine, mercury, paleo, sardine salad, sardines

About Sophie Van Tiggelen

Sophie Van Tiggelen is a passionate foodie, recipe developer, author, and photographer. Diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis in 2009, she used the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) to reverse her condition, and today, Sophie lives a full and vibrant life free from the anxiety and flare-ups that often accompany autoimmune diseases. With her food and lifestyle blog, A Squirrel in the Kitchen, Sophie shares her AIP experience and empowers others to develop new habits to promote good health and wellness. Through years of experience, she has developed simple strategies to be successful on AIP, including numerous mouth-watering, allergen-free recipes that everyone (even those without autoimmune diseases) can enjoy. Sophie is on a mission to make the Autoimmune Protocol - and all that it encompasses - more accessible and sustainable for anyone looking for a more nutritious, more delicious, more health-conscious life.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Annika Petersson says

    September 27, 2015 at 11:49 pm

    Hi,
    Is it really OK to eat tinned food? The tins are lined with bisphenol, from what I understand. I avoid tinned food altogether.
    Annika

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      September 28, 2015 at 9:51 am

      Hello Annika!

      Thanks for your input! Indeed, BPA is nasty stuff and we don’t want to be exposed if we can avoid it. More and more companies now are conscious of this problem and their packaging are BPA free. Here is a link I found about companies dedicated to use BPA free cans. Vital Choice and Wild Planet are among them! BPA free companies

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 5 Ways to Get Back on Track with the Autoimmune Protocol | A Squirrel in the Kitchen says:
    April 22, 2019 at 2:04 pm

    […] cans of tuna (delicious mixed with mashed avocado and some green onions) or sardines. […]

    Reply

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Hi! I'm Sophie - welcome to the blog! I am using the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) to live well with my autoimmune condition (Hashimoto's). Let me show you how I recovered my health and energy through diet and lifestyle adjustments!

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