Wild Planet Wild Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Lemon

Wild Planet sardines in this can are wild-caught, skin-on sardines packed in organic extra virgin olive oil with a slice of lemon. Wild Planet sells them scale-free and lightly smoked.

Who it suits

They suit people who want a shelf-stable fish for toast, salads or pasta with a short ingredient list. If you dislike skin-on fish or smoky flavor, another style may suit you better. Toss them with Banza chickpea rotini for a quick meal, or browse more healthy pantry staples.

Comparing options? Our healthy pantry staples guide explains what to check on the label and spec sheet.

Key facts

• Ingredients: sardines, organic extra virgin olive oil, water, lemon, sea salt, aqueous natural smoke (Wild Planet; Vitacost label listing)
• Fished in the North Pacific (Wild Planet; Vitacost label listing); the brand says its fisheries are in Japan and Fish Aggregating Devices are never used (Wild Planet)
• A 3 oz serving lists 170 calories, 11 g fat and 0 g carbohydrate (Wild Planet; Vitacost label listing)
• Non-GMO Project Verified and kosher (Wild Planet; Vitacost label listing); the brand also lists it as gluten-free (Wild Planet)

What reviewers say

Tasting Table named this exact can its top canned sardine, saying the packing oil was tasty enough to use as an ingredient. Mashed ranked the Wild Planet brand seventh of 17, praising plump, flavorful fillets from a sustainable Pacific stock but noting the skin-on pieces can look uneven.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Packed in organic extra virgin olive oil with lemon
• Pro: Scale-free, with a short ingredient list
• Con: Skin-on pieces can look uneven
• Con: Added sea salt and a smoky note

Cautions

• Contains fish; not for people with a fish allergy.
• Packed with skin and lightly smoked, with added sea salt.