A Dietitian Explains Which Canned Tuna Is the Healthiest

If you want to add more fish to your diet, canned tuna is an easy option. Whether you love it or not, this shelf-stable seafood is one of the healthiest items you can keep on hand. It offers a fast, convenient source of protein and other valuable nutrients, and it’s budget-friendly, too.

Among canned seafood choices, tuna is by far the most popular, especially in the United States.

At the supermarket, you’ll see rows of tuna cans with different varieties, species, packing methods and added ingredients.

Labels may say “albacore” or “skipjack.” Some cans contain solid tuna, while others are sold in chunks.

You may not think much about those differences, since it’s all tuna in a can, after all.

But nutritionally, not every canned tuna is the same.

So which kind is healthiest? Does it matter whether it’s packed in water or oil? And what’s the real difference between “white” and “light” tuna?

We asked a dietitian to break it all down.

Is Canned Tuna Good for You?

Tuna is one of the most commonly eaten seafoods in the world. The name actually covers dozens of species of large saltwater fish.

The most common tuna species sold commercially in cans include skipjack, also called “light” tuna, albacore or “white” tuna, and yellowfin tuna, according to prior reporting by TODAY.com.

Like fresh tuna, the canned version is rich in nutrients.

“It’s a great source of protein, with about 22 grams in just three ounces,” registered dietitian and author Frances Largeman-Roth tells TODAY.com.

That lean, high-quality protein can help build and repair muscle, keep you satisfied longer, and support weight management.

Recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend making protein a priority at every meal and aiming for 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day.

Canned tuna is a practical way to get a meaningful amount of protein and help meet those goals, Largeman-Roth says.

Most tuna is relatively low in fat and calories and naturally contains no carbohydrates. Skipjack is usually the leanest type, while albacore has slightly more fat.

No matter which variety you choose, the fats in tuna are beneficial. “Canned tuna provides a significant amount of heart-protective omega-3 fatty acids,” Largeman-Roth says.

Those include DHA and EPA, essential fatty acids the body cannot make in sufficient amounts, so we need to get them through foods such as fish.

The omega-3s in tuna may also support brain, eye and skin health.

Along with protein and omega-3s, canned tuna is a good source of vitamin B12, which helps with energy metabolism and nervous system function, as well as vitamin D and selenium.

Canned tuna is also one of the most accessible forms of fish.

“According to the American Heart Association, we’re supposed to be eating two or more servings of fish each week,” says Largeman-Roth — yet nearly 90% of Americans do not meet that recommendation.

Fresh fish can be expensive, and many people don’t feel confident cooking seafood, so “many of us are not eating enough,” she says.

“Canned tuna is a great way to meet the intake recommendations and get the nutrients you need in an affordable way,” she adds.

The Healthiest Type of Canned Tuna

All canned tuna provides useful nutrients and health benefits, but the species does make a difference.

Largeman-Roth says the healthiest canned tuna is usually skipjack, since it is a smaller fish and naturally lower in mercury. That is why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies skipjack as a “best choice” for regular consumption, two to three times per week.

Other canned tuna varieties, including albacore and yellowfin, can still fit into a healthy eating pattern, but they should be eaten less often.

What is added to the tuna and what it is packed in also matter nutritionally, Largeman-Roth says.

Better choices tend to have a few things in common:

• Packed in water or extra virgin olive oil
• No salt added
• Wild or safe-caught

The healthiest options usually list tuna as the first and only ingredient.

“I’m a big fan of tuna packed in EVOO because it really doesn’t need anything else added to it to taste great, but you can also choose water-packed tuna,” says Largeman-Roth.

The olive oil adds heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and helpful plant compounds, though it also increases calories.

Canned tuna can be high in sodium, something most Americans could reduce. If you eat the whole can and then add condiments or seasonings, the sodium can add up quickly.

“I like to go with the unsalted variety and add my own sea salt if I want,” says Largeman-Roth.

When possible, she recommends choosing wild-caught fish instead of farmed varieties, which may have slightly more nutrients, according to prior TODAY.com reporting.

“I do recommend choosing tuna brands that do rigorous mercury testing on their fish, especially for kids and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding,” she says.

Canned Tuna to Limit or Avoid

Most canned tuna can be part of a healthy diet when eaten in moderation.

Still, Largeman-Roth suggests limiting types that include extra calories, sodium or additives you do not need.

Tuna packed in vegetable oil — a blend of refined oils such as soy, corn or canola — contains more fats that offer fewer benefits than tuna packed in heart-healthy olive oil.

It’s also wise to limit or avoid canned tuna with lots of added salt and flavorings. “Some varieties have more than 400 mg of sodium per serving,” Largeman-Roth notes.

As a general rule, fewer ingredients are better. If the label includes a long list of unfamiliar words, it may be worth choosing a different can.

Which Canned Tuna Is Highest in Mercury?

Nearly all fish contains trace amounts of methylmercury, a toxin found in water that builds up in fish tissue over time as they feed, according to the FDA. The larger the fish, the higher it sits in the food chain and the more mercury it tends to accumulate.

For canned tuna, albacore, or “white” tuna, is the largest species and therefore has the highest mercury content, Largeman-Roth says. Yellowfin is also higher in mercury than skipjack.

Even so, both are considered “good choices” by the FDA. The agency recommends limiting albacore and yellowfin tuna to two servings per week, or once per week during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

(Technically, bigeye and bluefin tuna contain the most mercury of any species and should be avoided, though they are rarely sold canned.)

For most people, mercury exposure from eating fish is not a concern, according to the FDA. But high mercury levels can be harmful to pregnant women and young children because they may affect the developing nervous system.

That is why the FDA advises pregnant women and young children to choose lower-mercury fish for regular meals.

Talk to your doctor if you have concerns or questions about eating canned tuna.

Healthiest Ways to Eat Canned Tuna

Canned tuna is versatile and easy to use, Largeman-Roth says. You can enjoy it simply with a few ingredients, such as lemon juice and fresh herbs.

You can also add it to recipes to increase the protein content and turn a meal into something more filling. Try these tuna ideas to get started:

• High-protein tuna salad with Greek yogurt
• Tuna macaroni pasta salad
• Niçoise-style tuna grain bowls
• Tuna kimbap
• Mediterranean tuna sandwiches