One of the ways I keep my family really healthy and keep my grocery budget really low is to buy canned salmon. You might be wondering “Is canned salmon healthy?” Canned salmon actually has a whole lot going for it. And, I don’t say that lightly since I don’t buy many canned foods.
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Salmon is one of the few ingredients that I buy canned because many canned foods are not healthy. I make an exception for canned salmon because salmon is so high in omega 3 fats and vitamin A.
Canned salmon is one of the cheapest sources of healthy protein. It is full of omega 3 fats, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin D.
Vitamin A Benefits
Salmon is high in the kind of vitamin A that boosts immunity. A dentist named Weston Price discovered that children with enough vitamin A had wide faces, straight teeth, and bodies that were strong and resistant to infection. Vitamin A is powerful for fighting all kinds of infections. This vitamin can help get rid of some tough infections including ear infections and even measles. This article mentions that the death rate from measles approaches zero if vitamin A supplementation is given.
The type of vitamin A that keeps the immune system strong cannot be obtained from plant foods. It must come from animals. Good sources of vitamin A are grass fed butter, cod liver oil, and salmon.
I make sure that we have enough of this vitamin all the time, but I am especially vigilant during the cold months of the year.
Omega 3 Benefits
The Omega 3’s in salmon have been shown to improve all kinds of conditions from depression to alzheimer’s disease. Honestly, this type of fat is vital to everyone and helps more health conditions than I can name.
Since I have started eating a lot more of this type of fat, my cholesterol has improved tremendously, and my hormonal status is much better. (I don’t even know if I would be diagnosed as having PCOS anymore.)
My blood sugar feels way more even-I occasionally can tell my blood sugar feels a little low, but nothing like it used to be. I also weigh less now that I eat more fat.
So, you can see that I am sold on healthy fat!
Dairy Free Source of Calcium
One of the big benefits of canned salmon is that it contains a good amount of calcium. Calcium is vital to healthy bones and teeth.
Since I am dairy free, the calcium in canned salmon is a huge benefit for me. It is hard to get calcium from other dairy free sources. Many foods just don’t have enough to really count. But salmon with the bones is a great source of calcium.
If you are worried about eating the bones, you can mash them and hide them in salmon patties.
Does Canned Salmon Have Mercury?
Although omega 3’s are found in many seafoods, not all seafoods are safe to eat. Many have high levels of mercury. I believe mercury played a big part in the chronic fatigue that I used to have so I am very careful to avoid it.
Salmon that is wild caught in Alaska is very low in contaminants (including mercury). This kind of salmon is easily found in most grocery stores. The can will say “wild caught Alaskan” somewhere on the label.
Best Brands of Canned Salmon
As I mentioned earlier, salmon that is wild caught in Alaska has very low levels of mercury. When I was doing research for this article, I did find a brand that had exceptionally low levels of mercury-Wild Planet has an average of 0.013 parts per million of mercury. That was the lowest I have seen. However, any salmon that is wild caught in Alaska is going to be really low in mercury-much lower than most other fish.
We have eaten quite a few different Alaskan brands of salmon. We prefer the Starkist brand for flavor and texture. However, one of my favorite recipes for salmon patties was on the back of the Double Q can! And if you are making a recipe like salmon patties, most brands will do fine. Both the Starkist brand and the Double Q brand are around $3-$4 at my local grocery store. Here are some salmon recipes that are healthy and inexpensive.
Healthy Canned Salmon Recipes
Canned salmon can be yummy-most everyone likes salmon patties!
The Salmon Pattiesbelow are made with panko bread crumbs. Panko bread crumbs have a much healthier ingredient list than standard bread crumbs. These salmon patties are fried in avocado oil which has a high smoke point and is a healthy delicious oil.
For the nutritional value and cheap price, canned salmon is a winner in my book!
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Disclaimer: This post is not medical advice. I am not a doctor or medical professional. I share only from my own experiences and research. Consult your own practitioner before making changes in your diet or supplements.
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