If you’re aiming to lessen your environmental footprint and boost your health, switching from meat to fish is one way of going about it. And sardines are a great choice, not only because they’re cheap and tasty but because they have a very low mercury content and are easy to buy canned.
The only problem for many people is that they’re preconditioned to think that sardines are too fishy or that they have a strong taste and smell in general, especially if they’ve only ever had tinned sardines. But the truth is that these small and oily fish are incredibly tasty, especially when grilled over the BBQ or cooked in the oven and served with lemon and spices like paprika, chilli and cumin.
They have a mild flavour that’s very fresh and reminiscent of the oceans and, depending on the type of sardine, can be a little salty. Some varieties are also smoked or salted before being canned, which adds a more robust salty and fishy flavour to them.
Whether you’re grilling them over the BBQ, serving them on dark rye toast with capers and spring onions or topping your breakfast with them (sardines are the new egg!), they’re a tastier and cheaper option than herring or anchovies, both of which can be overly salty. And they’re packed with calcium, phosphorous and vitamin D, three of the five key nutrients needed for healthy bones.