Canned tuna can be found in nearly every kitchen pantry in the country. Sure, it is an easy and tasty food option that makes packed lunches a breeze, but are there even more benefits of eating canned tuna?
The short answer is, absolutely! To help you better understand the true value of eating canned tuna, here is a detailed look at just a few of its many benefits!
Benefits of Eating Canned Tuna
More than just a readily available go-to snack, canned tuna is a nutritionally dense, affordable, flexible meal option!
Canned Tuna Nutrition Facts
Canned tuna is a perfect player in a healthy, balanced diet.
Excellent Source of Dietary Protein
Canned tuna is an accessible source of quality protein.
Proteins are the building blocks of most parts of the human body. Our cells, tissues, and even bones, use protein to build and repair.
Protein can also play a significant role in metabolism and appetite control. Protein helps you feel fuller, for longer. But beyond that, it impacts your levels of hormones ghrelin and peptide YY.
Ghrelin is a hunger hormone produced in the gut that sends signals to your brain, telling it to seek food. Simply put, the higher your levels of ghrelin, the hungrier you will feel, and the lower the levels of ghrelin, the more full and satiated you will feel. Protein induces suppression of ghrelin levels, leaving you feeling full.
Peptide YY is a hormone released in the stomach after eating. It travels through the bloodstream to the brain where it binds with receptors that decrease appetite and create the sensation of fullness. Peptide YY also slows down the movement of food through the digestive tract further increasing the sensation of fullness. High protein intake is linked to greater release of Peptide YY into the bloodstream.
A single serving of Safe Catch Elite canned tuna can provide over 20 grams of protein!
Source of Omega 3s
Omega 3 fatty acids are an essential part of a healthy diet. They are considered essential fats because our bodies are unable to produce them, meaning we have to get them through our diets.
Omega 3s are found in a number of foods like avocado, nuts and seeds like chia, flax and walnuts, eggs, and soy. But, one of the best sources of these healthy fats is fatty fish like tuna, salmon, mackerel, and sardines.
When it comes to our health, omega 3s are very important. They have been shown to play a significant role in eye health and can improve cardiovascular risks. Some studies have even found that omega 3s may reduce instances of depression.
Low Calories
Canned tuna is a near-perfect healthy food because it provides important protein and omega 3s without adding significant calories.
Calorie consumption is a significant detail for people looking to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, or for people combating conditions like type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome.
Having an option on hand, like canned tuna, that will give you a significant amount of the good things you need, without adding to your daily caloric intake, is a massive benefit.
Seasoned cans of tuna will have a slightly higher calorie total than cans of pure tuna so if you are concerned about calories, be sure to read the label first.
Long Shelf Life
Tuna steaks are lovely but they won’t keep if you don’t eat them shortly after purchase.
Canned tuna has a long shelf life which means you can buy it, have it on hand, and not have to worry about wasting money on something that may spoil before you get a chance to eat it.
Most brands of canned tuna will last in your pantry for 2-5 years. This means you can fill your pantry or stock your dorm room, and rest easy knowing you have a go-to meal or snack whenever you want!
Affordable
Canned tuna is a remarkably affordable protein. For just a few dollars, you get a can of delicious, nutritionally dense fish that can be used in a variety of different ways.
Tuna is an affordable way to elevate school lunches or get creative at dinner. Need an affordable brunch recipe? Canned tuna is the answer!
Convenient
Canned tuna is easy. You do not need to cook or spend a lot of time prepping. With just a few pantry staples or a loaf of bread, you have a meal. You can dress it up as much as you like or eat it on its own. Simple.
And for people on calorie-restricted diets or specific eating plans like the Paleo diet, canned tuna is something you know you can have without impacting your goals.
Is Canned Tuna Safe?
When it comes to canned tuna, people often raise two concerns. They worry about high levels of mercury in the fish and they worry about the sustainability and environmental impact of sourcing fresh tuna.
The fact is that larger ocean fish, like tuna, often contain higher levels of mercury. But, this is not a hard and fast rule, either.
Tuna are migratory fish and so mercury levels can vary between tuna species and even tuna within the same school. At Safe Catch, we’ve seen two skipjack tuna, similar in size, from the same school, differ in mercury concentrations by 10 to 15 times!
Mercury is a neurotoxin and eating it can lead to muscle weakness, vision problems, speech and hearing impairments, loss of coordination, and the feeling of ‘pins and needles’ in the hands and feet or around the mouth.
Small children and unborn infants are most at risk as exposure to mercury can disrupt growth in the brain and nervous system.
But, the good news is that not all canned tuna brands are created equal.
Safe Catch Canned Tuna Has the Lowest Mercury Limits
Safe Catch is the only brand to test every single tuna for mercury. We are so serious about it that we test our Elite and Ahi Wild Tuna to a mercury limit 10x stricter than the FDA standard.
We use proprietary technology to ensure that every single tuna fish we purchase meets our strict purity standards.
These strict standards have made our Elite and Ahi, Wild Yellowfin the Official Tuna of the American Pregnancy Association! It also ensures we are the safest choice for everyone, especially vulnerable populations.
Safe Catch Canned Tuna is Sustainably Caught
As a brand, it is our mission to always provide pure sustainably sourced seafood. We only source Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Certified tuna. Our tuna is dolphin-safe and we contribute to, and support, marine conservation initiatives. Safe Catch is a brand you can feel good about having in your cupboard!
You can read more about our mission and sustainability practices, here.
How to Easily Add Canned Tuna to Your Diet
Whether you rip open a can and tuck in or use it as the star ingredient in your dish, canned tuna is easy to add to your diet!
Easy Snacks and Meals for Canned Tuna
While canned tuna is often a lunch staple, it is a great choice for any time of day. Here are a few ideas to get you started!
When looking for a scrumptious snack, get your mouth watering with:
- Tuna Antipasto-Style Dip
- Tuna Taco Bites
- Tuna Pizza Bites
- Ahi Tuna Bell Pepper Bites
- Apple Harvest Tuna Salad
For proper mealtime, bring everyone to the table with:
- Tuna Chili
- Tuna Pot Pie
- Zesty Tuna Burger with Portobello
- Spicy Tuna Cakes with Cauliflower Grits
- Tuna Casserole with Zoup
Find The Canned Tuna That is Right for You
It is clear that eating canned tuna is beneficial. Canned tuna is nutritious, affordable, flexible, and delicious.
But to truly enjoy canned tuna, you need a brand that is right for you. Safe Catch is the solution. We not only offer the lowest mercury canned tuna on the market with our Elite and Ahi, Wild Yellowfin tuna, but we also act as good stewards of the environment.
We believe in providing only the best, and purest, canned fish products for you and your family.
To add Safe Catch to your pantry, use the store locator to find a location near you, or visit our online store.