The healthiest canned tuna has the shortest ingredient list on the shelf: one named species, nothing added except perhaps salt, and none of the fish's own oil poured down the drain. American Tuna, founded in San Diego by six pole and line fishing families, packs wild caught albacore tuna exactly that way at small canneries in Oregon and Washington and ships it nationwide. Here is how to judge any can before you pay for it, ours included.
What "Healthy" Means for Canned Tuna
Four things decide it: how much protein you get, how much omega-3 fat survives the canning, how much sodium was added, and what else is in the can. Everything printed on the front of the label is decoration. The back panel is where the answers are.
Seafood earns its place on the plate. The FDA's Advice About Eating Fish repeats the Dietary Guidelines target of at least 8 ounces of seafood a week for adults on a 2,000 calorie diet. Canned tuna is the cheapest and most convenient way most households hit that number, which we cover in our health guide to canned tuna.
Start With the Species
Species changes the nutrition more than brand does. USDA FoodData Central lists canned white tuna (albacore) in water at 23.6 grams of protein and about 0.86 grams of EPA and DHA omega-3s per 100 grams. Light tuna in water, usually skipjack, comes in near 0.27 grams of the same fats.
That is roughly three times the omega-3 for the same forkful. If the label never names the fish, assume it is the cheaper one. Our albacore versus skipjack comparison has the full side by side.
Sodium Is the Number Most Cans Get Wrong
Salt is where ordinary tuna quietly stops being a health food. USDA figures put standard canned white tuna at 377 milligrams of sodium per 100 grams and the no-salt version of the same fish at 50 milligrams. Same protein, a fraction of the sodium.
The FDA's sodium guidance sets the Daily Value at less than 2,300 milligrams and defines "low sodium" as 140 milligrams or less per serving. If you are shopping for low sodium canned tuna, the ingredient line should read "albacore tuna" and stop. Our no salt added tuna does exactly that, and the salt versus no-salt breakdown explains when the sea salt can makes more sense.
What Else Is in the Can
Most canned tuna is cooked twice. The fish is steamed whole, cleaned, then sealed with water, oil or vegetable broth and cooked again. The natural juices from the first cook never make it into the can, and whatever you drain at home takes more with it.
We pack raw albacore loins by hand and cook them once, sealed in the can, with no water, oil, broth or fillers. The liquid you see when you open it came out of the fish. Stir it back in. Our post on single-cook, no-drain tuna walks through the process.
How the Fish Was Caught and Handled
Catch method does not change the nutrition panel, and we won't pretend it does. It does tell you how much care went into the fish before it reached a cannery. Albacore landed one at a time is bled and chilled individually instead of being crushed under tons of other fish in a net.
Our responsibly sourced albacore comes from an MSC certified fishery and U.S.-flagged boats. Every can carries a code you can enter on the Trace Your Tuna page to see which vessel caught it. A brand willing to name the boat is usually not hiding much else. That kind of accountability is hard to fake, and it is the closest thing a shopper has to visiting the cannery.
Comparing the Healthiest Canned Tuna Brands on Price
The healthiest canned tuna brands cost more, and the reasons are specific. A 5 oz can of ours is $8.49; the 3.5 oz can is $5.49. Supermarket tuna sells for a small fraction of that because it is net-caught, machine-packed and topped up with water or broth.
Before you pay a premium for any brand, check that the can delivers these five things:
- One species named on the label, ideally albacore
- No added water, oil or vegetable broth
- Salt as the only other ingredient, or none at all
- A catch method stated in plain words
- A way to trace the can back to a boat or fishery
Orders over $40 ship free and Subscribe & Save takes 10% off every delivery. Shop wild albacore tuna and compare our label against the can in your pantry.
Which Can Fits the Way You Eat
There is no single right answer here. It depends on what you are managing.
- Watching sodium: No Salt Added, seasoned by you at the table.
- Counting protein: any 5 oz can, juices stirred in, nothing drained.
- Portion control or solo lunches: the 3.5 oz cans.
- Not sure yet: the Classic 3-pack sampler at $24.49.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the healthiest canned tuna to buy?
Choose albacore with no added water, oil or broth, and either no salt or salt as the only extra ingredient. USDA data shows albacore in water carries about three times the EPA and DHA of light tuna.
Is low sodium canned tuna worth buying?
Yes, if you watch your salt. No-salt albacore has roughly 50 milligrams of sodium per 100 grams compared with 377 for the standard version, and you can always add a pinch yourself.
Should I drain canned tuna?
Drain it if the can was filled with water or broth. Do not drain tuna cooked once in its own juices, because that liquid holds flavor and natural oils.
How much does healthy canned tuna cost?
Ours runs $8.49 for a 5 oz can and $5.49 for a 3.5 oz can, with multi-packs, free shipping over $40 and a 10% subscription discount bringing the per-can price down.
Ready to Get Started?
If you have been reading labels looking for the healthiest canned tuna, the quickest test is to open a can with one ingredient and taste it.
Shop wild albacore tuna or call us at (866) 817-0497.