The Canned Seafood You Should Keep Out Of Your Shopping Cart

Tinned fish and other preserved seafood can be a handy ingredient for making a quick meal or easily satisfying a craving. Canned salmon is already cooked, so you can easily transform it into a salad with some mayo and seasonings. Meanwhile, tiny shrimp from a tin are a great way to fancy up your pasta salad, and sardines or anchovies in a can are an easy, portable option for a protein-packed snack after a workout or on a road trip. You can even use conveniently packed seafood to craft a seacuterie board. But if you're looking to make something classic, like a tuna salad sandwich, you'll want to be choosy about the can you pick — skip the albacore.

Since albacore tuna has a mild flavor and its firm texture holds up well in a variety of dishes, it can be a popular choice. However, tests on tinned tuna have revealed that some albacore contain more arsenic as well as higher levels of mercury than other types of tuna. While the amount of arsenic is likely not high enough for a single can to pose a problem, if you eat it often, over time, it may cause heart issues, diabetes, and various cancers, as well as developmental problems for children, according to the World Health Organization. As for mercury, it may also exacerbate heart-related conditions as well as mental health issues (like anxiety or depression).

If you're a tuna enthusiast who loves albacore, you may not have to give it up altogether — but you'll be able to eat more and remain within the FDA's mercury guidelines if you choose another variety. Light tuna is a great option since it contains a mixture of meat from smaller fish, which are less likely to have high mercury levels. Often, canned light tuna contains skipjack along with other types, like yellowfin or big-eye. Whether you buy solid or chunk depends on what you want to use it in — the former will stay together better while the chunk tuna is easier to flake.

Once you've procured a high-quality can of tuna, there are plenty of ways to use it beyond making a mayo-based salad. For starters, try mixing the fish into a two-ingredient dip to spread on crackers or veggies. Or, up the protein in deviled eggs by mixing a can of light tuna into the filling. It's also versatile for main dishes — make patties with eggs, breadcrumbs, and seasoning for a tuna burger, combine it with veggies and cabbage and wrap it in wonton wrappers for egg rolls, or fold it into a tortilla with cheese for a protein-heavy quesadilla.

Since albacore is milder than light tuna, you may want to tone down or offset the fishiness if you're not accustomed to it. To do that, try incorporating lemon juice, garlic powder, or other herbs and spices into your recipe. This will keep your food tasting extra fresh despite the canned fish.