4 Health Benefits of Tinned Fish
Canned fish cuisine has moved well beyond tuna and mayo slapped onto white sandwich bread. Think smoked salmon with chile crisp, sardines in coconut curry and Pacific cod with roasted red pepper sauce.
Once tucked away on the bottom shelves of supermarkets, canned fish is now showing up in brightly colored tins at specialty food stores and all over social media. And shoppers are buying more of it. According to FMI, the Food Industry Association, U.S. sales of shelf-stable sardines and anchovies totaled $386 million in 2025, a nearly 17 percent jump from the previous year.
For adults over 50, especially those cooking for one or finding that their appetite has diminished, tinned fish offers benefits that go well beyond its newfound popularity.
“Canned fish is affordable, shelf-stable, packed with nutrition, easy to chew and can easily be added to traditional meals such as noodles, rice or soup,” says Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic.
A small portion can provide a substantial amount of protein along with nutrients that support muscle, bone and heart health. You don’t have to pay specialty-tin prices, either. Canned fish typically costs less than fresh or frozen fish and keeps much longer unopened, according to the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter. For older adults on a fixed income, canned fish can help stretch the grocery budget. Walmart, for example, lists a 5-ounce can of Great Value chunk light tuna in water for about $1, though prices vary by location. Target has a 5-ounce can of Good & Gather tuna for $1.20. And Amazon sells an assortment of Bumble Bee tuna in different sauces for $1.33 per 3-ounce can.
“Private labels [store brands] offer great alternatives to national brands for the same nutrition,” says Chris Rosenbloom, a registered dietitian and coauthor of Food & Fitness After 50.
Professor José M. Ordovás, senior scientist at Tufts University’s Nutrition Research Center on Aging, points to another advantage: “An ordinary supermarket can needs little preparation, keeps well unopened and can reduce food waste.”
4 reasons canned fish is good for you
Protein for your muscles
A 3-ounce serving of canned fish typically provides about 20 grams of protein, says Angel Planells, a registered dietitian and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Amounts vary by fish and product.
“A small portion carries a lot of protein, which helps when appetite is low,” says Judy Simon, a clinic dietitian and clinical instructor at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle.
Rosenbloom, 75, says she has experienced a decrease in appetite and finds that a 5-ounce can of tuna makes a convenient lunch or dinner.
As we age, muscles become less responsive to the protein we eat, Ordovás says. Getting enough protein throughout the day, along with strength-building activity, helps maintain muscle mass. That muscle helps with everyday activities such as climbing stairs, carrying groceries and getting out of a chair.
Fish also provides vitamin B12, which helps keep blood and nerve cells healthy.
Calcium for your bones
Don’t be too quick to pick the bones out of canned salmon or sardines. “The high-heat, high-pressure canning process softens the tiny bones in fish like sardines and salmon until they are completely chewable and digestible,” Zumpano says.
You can mash the bones into the fish with a fork, Ordovás suggests.
Three ounces of canned sardines with bones provide about 325 milligrams of calcium, more than a cup of milk, according to the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements. The same amount of canned pink salmon with bones provides about 180 milligrams. Amounts vary by product. Salmon also supplies vitamin D, which helps your body absorb calcium.
Unlike calcium in the bones, vitamin D comes from the flesh, Ordovás says. Boneless fish retains vitamin D but has much less calcium. Check each can’s Nutrition Facts label to compare amounts.
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