How healthy is canned tuna?

Question

What about canned crap meat?

Do they contain a lot of nutrients?
what about chemicals?

Anybody know why they are so expensive at the store?

Answer 1

Very good for you and a good source of protein. Go for the one in oil NOT brine.

Answer 2

Yes, can tuna is healthy.

Some people tend to worry about mercury in fish, but that depends where they have been fished!
A lot of control and care is taken to can tuna and avoid contamination from mercury or other chemicals.
As a whole, I would not worry and eat can tuna without much thought.

It would be better though if you also eat other kinds of fish: salmon, trout, etc. It will not only add variety to your menu, but you can shop around to see what is on season and at a better price! (Specially applies to fresh fish). Also you will give some variety at the kind and combination of nutrients you get from fish.

Answer 3

Tuna used to be healthy but is not anymore. Any factory farmed fish is so full of toxins and carcinogens that is only safe every 4 1/2 months or so. Wild fish are less dangerous, but also full of toxins.

As far as other meat goes, I would just steer clear of that whole hornets' nest. Anything that goes in a can is there because the meat is of such poor quality, it can't be sold any other way (except perhaps pet food). Same goes for hotdogs, ground beef, and any other meat that is chopped, ground, or pressed. Ew.

Answer 4

Tuna is very good, some can contain mercury but its very nutrition and contains alot of protein - body builders eat tuna. Best of limit yourself to 2-3 times a week to be safe, but I eat it alot and feel good. Not sure about crab meat... but I know seafood contains good sources of Iodine and is low in fat, but contains good sources of folic acid and the essential fatty acids we need.
Maybe its expensive because it has to be imported as we are depleting our ocean stores of it, or it could be the season.......

Answer 5

Yes, canned tuna can be a good source of omega 3 fats, but how much omega 3s are contained in the can of tuna you purchase can vary considerably. Here's what you need to know to choose the can with the most omega 3s.

Canned Tuna Varieties

First of all, several different varieties of tuna are canned. Skipjack, Bluefin and Yellowfin (called Ahi in Hawaii) tuna are canned and sold as "light meat," while Albacore (also called Longfin tuna , Tombo Ahi, and Ahi Palanacan) is the only tuna that can be labeled premium "white meat".

Omega 3 Content of Canned Tuna

Nutritionally, these different types of tuna are quite similar-except for their fat content, which can vary by as much as 2 grams per ounce depending on the season and water temperature where the fish was caught.

So, even if you buy the same kind of tuna every time, be sure to check the Nutrition Facts label on the can you are considering purchasing-the information presented here must tell you what nutrients the fish packed in this can contains.

To get the most omega 3 fats from your canned tuna, choose water-packed tuna rather than oil-packed. The oil mixes with some of the tuna's natural fat, so when you drain oil-packed tuna, some of its omega 3 fatty acids also go down the drain. Since oil and water don't mix, water-packed tuna won't leach any of its precious omega 3s.

Canned in water and drained, 6 ounces of light meat tuna typically provides a little less than .5 gram of omega 3 fatty acids, while light tuna canned in oil and drained provides a little more than .3 grams of omega 3.

One assay found that 100 grams (about 3 ½ ounces ) of light tuna canned in water and drained contained 0.272 grams of omega-3 fatty acids, derived from EPA (0.047g), DHA (0.223g), and ALA (0.002g). While tuna canned in oil and drained contained almost a third less omega 3s: 100 grams of light meat tuna canned in oil and drained provided 0.202 grams of omega-3 fatty acids in the form of EPA (0.027g), DHA (0.101g), and ALA (0.074g).

Specialty brands of Premium or "Gourmet" canned Pacific Albacore tuna may be your best choice for omega 3 oils among all the types of canned tuna. These smaller, often family-owned tuna fisheries catch their tuna in the cold waters of the Pacific by hook and line trolling. As soon as a fish is hooked, it is brought aboard and fresh-frozen. Large commercial fisheries typically catch their tuna in the warmer waters of the Atlantic using "long lines" that lay deep in the water and are harvested only every 24 hours.

The way the tuna is processed also differs. The larger commercial canneries, such as Starkist ™, cook their fish twice. First, they bake the fish whole on a rack, which results in a loss of natural beneficial oils. Then the fish is de-boned and put into the can, along with flavorings like vegetable broth, and additives such as pyrophosphate or hydrolyzed casein. The cans are sealed, and the fish is cooked again. This process allows the companies to de-bone the fish fillets faster and produce a higher volume of product. Specialty products are typically packed into the can raw and cooked only once, so all their natural juices and fats remain in the finished product. Tested specialty brands have been found to contain up to 2.97 grams of omega 3 fats in a 100 gram (3.5 ounce) serving.

Answer 6

You shouldnt eat more than 2-3 cans of tuna a week due to its mercury content.

Answer 7

tuna has been known to contain mercury and it is suggested you only eat it once a week if that.

I would stick to a more deep/cold water fish such as salmon to get the omega complex from fish.

Answer 8

Always have vegetables on hand. Saute a big bag involving frozen mixed vegetables in coconut oil and garlic. Add some red pepper as well as turmeric for additional flavor and separate into portion-sized containers with the fridge.

Answer 9

Tin tuna in BRINE not OIL is low in fat and good for you. Assuming you mean CRAB meat, thats also good but preety tasteless in my opinion. OK if you add something to it for flavour.

Answer 10

Snack attack! Puree peaches, berries or pears for a sweet spread to take a pita chips.