These Popular Types Of Canned Fish Have More Calcium Than Milk

According to the USDA's Dietary Guidelines, men and women between the ages of 19 and 50 should be aiming for at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium each day. If you struggle with taking huge calcium pills and would prefer to increase your daily intake through fresh foods, canned fish — with its many tiny, softened bones — is a great source of calcium. Some varieties even contain more calcium than milk, which has about 300 milligrams in an 8-ounce glass. 

There are many different ways to turn canned fish into a simple, flavorful dinner, but before you start looking for the best canned fish options to add to your grocery list, check the nutrition facts label on each can to see how much calcium the fish contains per serving. Keep in mind that the boneless varieties typically sold in pouches often contain very little calcium, if any at all. Now, let's take a look at which canned fish options have the most calcium.

The Pacific jack mackerel, also called the Californian jack mackerel, is native to the Eastern Pacific Ocean and can be found in Alaska, California, and Mexico. It is one of the most nutritious fishes you can eat. Not only is it rich in calcium, with around 550 milligrams for every 170-gram serving, it is also a great source of vitamin D and B vitamins as well as iodine. 

Canned mackerel is the tastier version of tuna, and you can enjoy it on crackers, over rice, on toasted bread with olive oil, or added to a salad. Along with canned shrimp, it is also a great swap to use for tuna salad sandwiches. Plus, canned mackerel is one of the most affordable fish options on our list, with a 15-ounce can typically costing just $2 or $3.  

Anchovies are small fish with a big reputation — you either love them or hate them. They are found in the Pacific Ocean and the Mediterranean and Black Seas, and are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins B3 and B12, as well as calcium. A 150-gram serving of canned anchovies in oil can kick up your daily calcium intake by 450 milligrams, significantly more than you'd get by drinking a glass of milk. 

Known for having a strong, salty flavor, anchovies are often used in Italian and Mediterranean dishes. There are many ways to elevate canned anchovies to add a delightful salty flavor to your dishes: Your Caesar salad isn't complete without anchovies, and they are also the perfect answer for a last-minute weeknight carbonara. If the pungent taste of anchovies is a deterrent, we recommend using lemon as a way to offset the taste. 

Alaskan red sockeye salmon is known for its bright red flesh and bold flavor. It is considered more flavorful than farmed salmon, and is also a great source of nutrients. In fact, one of the reasons why you should always have canned salmon in your pantry is because it is one of the healthiest types of canned fish available. It is high in omega-3 fatty acids, and can offer up to 417 milligrams of calcium for every 255 grams. 

There are many ways to elevate canned salmon to enhance its flavor and texture. Some of the best ways to use canned salmon are pan-fried to make salmon croquettes, including it in a sushi bake, adding it to pasta, making salmon burgers, and incorporating it into your favorite soup recipe. You can also freeze canned salmon, so if you find a good price on it, don't be afraid to buy it in bulk.

Canned sardines, like anchovies, are an oily fish that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids as well as calcium. A 138-gram serving of sardines can give you as much as 380 milligrams of calcium. Sardines are small, silvery fish that are usually smoked or steamed before being preserved in a can. They are one of the most sustainable seafood choices because they reproduce quickly and are very low on the food chain. This means that they are less likely to be overfished. 

While some people like eating sardines straight from the can, they can also be added to pasta salad or as a substitute for tuna in a Niçoise salad. If they are falling apart or getting soggy when you cook with them, use our tip for cooking canned sardines that stay intact: Add them in when the dish is almost done cooking, or cook them separately from the rest of the dish.

Canned crab meat is made from cooked and cleaned crabs that are categorized into different grades such as lump, jumbo lump, backfin, and claw. While admittedly not a fish, crab gets an honorable mention here because it is high in iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and protein as well as calcium. Lump crab meat, made from both large and small pieces of meat, can give you a big calcium boost, providing around 220 milligrams per 200 grams. 

Other varieties, such as white crab meat, claw, super lump, and jumbo lump only contain about 60 to 80 milligrams of calcium per 85 grams of meat. There are many creative ways to use canned crab meat in daily cooking. As long as you know what to look for when choosing canned crab, you can find affordable and flavorful options that can be used for quick, easy, calcium-rich meals. We recommend colossal lump crab meat, backfin crab meat, and claw crab meat.