tuna and sardine salad

I love sardines. I love them so much that my clients and followers have started calling me “sardine girl”. But I didn’t always love them.

I used to think sardines were gross. As a teen, I remember making fun of my dad relentlessly for not only eating sardines, but having them plain, straight out of the can.

And here I am, not 10 years later, eating them straight outta the can every single day. Sorry dad <3

That change didn’t happen overnight, though. I didn’t go from being a sardine hater to sardine girl in one fell swoop.

It happened gradually, over many years and many cans of tinned fish.

This recipe is one of the first ways I ever tried sardines. If you’re feeling unsure about them, this is a great beginner recipe because it pairs them with something you’re likely familiar with: tuna.

Your brain thinks sardines are weird because they’re unfamiliar — not because they’re actually weird.

So to make them feel not weird, we need to familiarize your taste buds with them. And that only happens when you try them, repeatedly. Sometimes it can take up to 17 tries for our taste buds to accept a new food into our palate. So if you’ve tried sardines once, twice, even sixteen times with no luck, I encourage you to keep trying.

It can be hard though, to keep eating a food you don’t really like. So to ease the transition from sardine hater to future sardine girl, pair them with tuna. It masks the taste, has a very similar texture, and I promise, you won’t even notice the difference.

• Tuna and sardines are both extremely high in lean protein, making this a great lunch to keep you full for longer, and to support hormonal and mental processes.

• Sardines are high in omega-3s to support cellular health and combat inflammation. If you choose sardines with bones, they are also rich in calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and other minerals important for healthy hormones, immunity, and brain function.

• Red onion is rich in quercetin, a powerful antioxidant that supports liver detox and the immune system.

• Nutritional yeast is high in b vitamins, which are needed to support cellular health, nervous system firing, and a strong metabolism.

I hope you love this recipe. Remember, it takes 17 tries to get used to a new food. So don’t give up!

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With love,

Naomi (the sardine girl 🐟)

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I’m a Registered Holistic Nutritionist & writer based in Vancouver, BC who helps you change your life by changing what you eat. You can learn more about me here.