Canned Tuna Vs Fresh Tuna: What's The Nutritional Difference?
Tuna's versatility as an ingredient is baked into its branding: Chicken of the sea. And it's true — tuna is the palatable, goes-with-everything fish version of chicken. Its oily and juicy texture, paired with that subtle, not-that-fishy flavor — popular with both kids and adults — make it a go-to option for many home cooks and restaurant chefs alike. Tuna's buttery, savory flavor notes are an excellent addition to casseroles, pastas, salads, sandwiches, you name it. Not only does tuna deliver on favorite flavors, but it's high in protein, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and low in calories which make it a highly nutritious and healthy snack. It's no wonder this fish is the third most popular seafood option in America (behind shrimp and salmon), and the second most popular when ranked by us.
While the canned version of tuna may be a more familiar ingredient, anyone who enjoys sushi or a seared tuna salad has definitely had the fresh stuff too. So, is there a significant nutritional difference between canned tuna and fresh? Well, to start, it's important to understand the types of tuna you're evaluating. When you buy a can of tuna, you're most likely buying albacore, yellowfin, or the skipjack species of tuna. If the can says "white tuna," you can assume you're eating albacore. If the can says "light" then you're eating a combination of yellowfin and skipjack tuna. Fresh steaks typically come from albacore, yellowfin, bigeye, and bluefin.
Differences between canned tuna and fresh tuna
When one ounce of low-sodium canned tuna (in water or oil) was compared with one ounce of fresh raw tuna, it provided a higher nutritional value in several metrics. As you can imagine, canned tuna packed in oil comes with more fats and calories, but overall, all tuna is high in protein and low in fat and calories. When it comes down to side-by-side comparisons, a single ounce of canned tuna has eight milligrams of Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a good-for-you omega-3 fatty acid, while an ounce of fresh raw tuna only has three milligrams of EPA. Surprisingly, canned tuna in oil and fresh tuna have similar amounts of Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), another good-for-you omega-3 fatty acid, with 29 and 25 milligrams respectively, while canned tuna in water blows both out of the water (pun intended) with 56 milligrams of DHA.
Fresh tuna has significantly more potassium than either of its canned counterparts with 124 milligrams, while canned tuna in water and oil both have potassium in the 50-59 milligram range. Potassium is a magical mineral that helps reduce the chances of developing osteoporosis or having a stroke. Fresh tuna also boasts significantly less sodium — nearly nine times less than low-sodium canned tuna packed in oil, but oil-packed tuna has more Vitamin D, with nearly two micrograms per ounce, whereas fresh tuna only has a half microgram per ounce.
Which type of tuna is better for you?
When it comes time to decide between canned tuna and fresh tuna, the difference in health benefits shouldn't be significant enough to sway your decision. Both options are a great choice for a healthy and balanced diet. On the surface, fresh always seems better than canned stuff, but we were surprised to learn that canned tuna has a slight advantage over fresh tuna due to its lower amounts of mercury. Unfortunately, our reliance on fossil fuels has increased the rates of atmospheric mercury, which in turn has increased mercury consumption in both small fish and in the big fish that eat the small fish.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, canned tuna, especially light canned tuna, has smaller amounts of mercury than fresh or frozen tuna. But in some cases, canned albacore, for example, has nearly the same levels of mercury as fresh or frozen albacore and yellowfin. So unless you're eating whale amounts of tuna, the mercury level difference is likely negligible.
Like with all things in life, it's all about moderation. A twice-weekly serving of tuna, or eight ounces in total, whether it's canned or fresh will do wonders for your diet. Note: For children or pregnant people, this recommendation is cut in half. By portioning out your tuna intake, you'll reap more of the benefits while limiting the negative impacts introducing trace amounts of mercury will have on your diet.