Sardines nutrition facts

Sardines (3 oz, 85 g) has 177 calories, 20.9 g protein, 0 g fiber, 9.7 g fat. It is an excellent source of vitamin B12 (317% DV), selenium (81% DV), protein (42% DV) and a good source of copper and riboflavin.

Vitamin B12 317% DV Selenium 81% DV Protein 42% DV Phosphorus 33% DV Niacin 28% DV

#1 of 14 fish and seafood for calcium #1 of 14 fish and seafood for phosphorus #4 of 14 fish and seafood for omega-3 #7 of 14 fish and seafood for vitamin B12 #7 of 9 fish and seafood for vitamin D #9 of 14 fish and seafood for selenium

Nutrition Facts

Serving size3 oz (85 g)

Calories177

Total Fat 9.7g12%

Saturated Fat 1.3g6.5%

Cholesterol 121mg40%

Sodium 261mg11%

Total Carbohydrate 0g0%

Dietary Fiber 0g0%

Total Sugars 0g

Protein 20.9g42%

Vitamin D 4.08µg20%

Calcium 325mg25%

Iron 2.5mg14%

Potassium 337mg7.2%

* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. Values from USDA FoodData Central; label rounding rules are not applied.

Calorie breakdown

■ Protein 49%
■ Fat 51%
■ Carbohydrate 0%

Share of calories by the 4-9-4 Atwater factors; the centre shows USDA's calorie value.

Scores

Nutrient density (NRF9.3)

Nine nutrients to encourage minus three to limit, per 100 kcal. Whole foods range from about −60 to 600; leafy greens score highest.

0.3

Inflammatory profile anti-inflammatory

Lower is more anti-inflammatory. Percentile 27 among 1,677 whole foods, from Dietary Inflammatory Index weights applied to this food's nutrients per 100 kcal.

All nutrients in sardines

Nutrient	Per 3 oz	% Daily Value
Macronutrients
Calories	177 kcal	8.8%
Protein	20.9 g	42%
Total fat	9.7 g	12%
Carbohydrate	0 g	0%
Fiber	0 g	0%
Sugars	0 g	no DV
Fats
Saturated fat	1.3 g	6.5%
Monounsaturated fat	3.3 g	no DV
Polyunsaturated fat	4.4 g	no DV
Omega-3 (ALA+EPA+DHA)	1.26 g	no DV
Omega-6 (linoleic)	3.01 g	no DV
Cholesterol	121 mg	40%
Vitamins
Vitamin C	0 mg	0%
Thiamin (B1)	0.07 mg	5.7%
Riboflavin (B2)	0.19 mg	15%
Niacin (B3)	4.5 mg	28%
Pantothenic acid (B5)	0.55 mg	11%
Vitamin B6	0.14 mg	8.3%
Folate (DFE)	8 µg	2.1%
Vitamin B12	7.6 µg	317%
Vitamin A (RAE)	27 µg	3%
Vitamin E	1.73 mg	12%
Vitamin D	4.08 µg	20%
Vitamin K	2.2 µg	1.8%
Choline	64 mg	12%
Minerals
Sodium	261 mg	11%
Calcium	325 mg	25%
Iron	2.5 mg	14%
Magnesium	33 mg	7.9%
Phosphorus	416 mg	33%
Potassium	337 mg	7.2%
Zinc	1.1 mg	10%
Copper	0.16 mg	18%
Manganese	0.09 mg	4%
Selenium	44.8 µg	81%
Carotenoids
Beta-carotene	0 µg	no DV
Lycopene	0 µg	no DV
Lutein + zeaxanthin	0 µg	no DV
Other
Caffeine	0 mg	no DV
Water	51 g	no DV
Amino acids
Tryptophan	0.235 g	no DV
Threonine	0.917 g	no DV
Isoleucine	0.964 g	no DV
Leucine	1.701 g	no DV
Lysine	1.921 g	no DV
Methionine	0.62 g	no DV
Phenylalanine	0.817 g	no DV
Valine	1.078 g	no DV
Histidine	0.616 g	no DV

Nutrient	Per 100 g	% Daily Value
Macronutrients
Calories	208 kcal	10%
Protein	24.6 g	49%
Total fat	11.4 g	15%
Carbohydrate	0 g	0%
Fiber	0 g	0%
Sugars	0 g	no DV
Fats
Saturated fat	1.5 g	7.6%
Monounsaturated fat	3.9 g	no DV
Polyunsaturated fat	5.1 g	no DV
Omega-3 (ALA+EPA+DHA)	1.48 g	no DV
Omega-6 (linoleic)	3.54 g	no DV
Cholesterol	142 mg	47%
Vitamins
Vitamin C	0 mg	0%
Thiamin (B1)	0.08 mg	6.7%
Riboflavin (B2)	0.23 mg	17%
Niacin (B3)	5.2 mg	33%
Pantothenic acid (B5)	0.64 mg	13%
Vitamin B6	0.17 mg	9.8%
Folate (DFE)	10 µg	2.5%
Vitamin B12	8.94 µg	372%
Vitamin A (RAE)	32 µg	3.6%
Vitamin E	2.04 mg	14%
Vitamin D	4.8 µg	24%
Vitamin K	2.6 µg	2.2%
Choline	75 mg	14%
Minerals
Sodium	307 mg	13%
Calcium	382 mg	29%
Iron	2.9 mg	16%
Magnesium	39 mg	9.3%
Phosphorus	490 mg	39%
Potassium	397 mg	8.4%
Zinc	1.3 mg	12%
Copper	0.19 mg	21%
Manganese	0.11 mg	4.7%
Selenium	52.7 µg	96%
Carotenoids
Beta-carotene	0 µg	no DV
Lycopene	0 µg	no DV
Lutein + zeaxanthin	0 µg	no DV
Other
Caffeine	0 mg	no DV
Water	60 g	no DV
Amino acids
Tryptophan	0.276 g	no DV
Threonine	1.079 g	no DV
Isoleucine	1.134 g	no DV
Leucine	2.001 g	no DV
Lysine	2.26 g	no DV
Methionine	0.729 g	no DV
Phenylalanine	0.961 g	no DV
Valine	1.268 g	no DV
Histidine	0.725 g	no DV

Nutrient	Per 1 oz (28 g)	% Daily Value
Macronutrients
Calories	59 kcal	2.9%
Protein	7 g	14%
Total fat	3.2 g	4.2%
Carbohydrate	0 g	0%
Fiber	0 g	0%
Sugars	0 g	no DV
Fats
Saturated fat	0.4 g	2.2%
Monounsaturated fat	1.1 g	no DV
Polyunsaturated fat	1.5 g	no DV
Omega-3 (ALA+EPA+DHA)	0.42 g	no DV
Omega-6 (linoleic)	1 g	no DV
Cholesterol	40 mg	13%
Vitamins
Vitamin C	0 mg	0%
Thiamin (B1)	0.02 mg	1.9%
Riboflavin (B2)	0.06 mg	5%
Niacin (B3)	1.5 mg	9.3%
Pantothenic acid (B5)	0.18 mg	3.6%
Vitamin B6	0.05 mg	2.8%
Folate (DFE)	3 µg	0.7%
Vitamin B12	2.53 µg	106%
Vitamin A (RAE)	9 µg	1%
Vitamin E	0.58 mg	3.9%
Vitamin D	1.36 µg	6.8%
Vitamin K	0.7 µg	0.6%
Choline	21 mg	3.9%
Minerals
Sodium	87 mg	3.8%
Calcium	108 mg	8.3%
Iron	0.8 mg	4.6%
Magnesium	11 mg	2.6%
Phosphorus	139 mg	11%
Potassium	113 mg	2.4%
Zinc	0.4 mg	3.4%
Copper	0.05 mg	5.9%
Manganese	0.03 mg	1.3%
Selenium	14.9 µg	27%
Carotenoids
Beta-carotene	0 µg	no DV
Lycopene	0 µg	no DV
Lutein + zeaxanthin	0 µg	no DV
Other
Caffeine	0 mg	no DV
Water	17 g	no DV
Amino acids
Tryptophan	0.078 g	no DV
Threonine	0.306 g	no DV
Isoleucine	0.321 g	no DV
Leucine	0.567 g	no DV
Lysine	0.641 g	no DV
Methionine	0.207 g	no DV
Phenylalanine	0.272 g	no DV
Valine	0.359 g	no DV
Histidine	0.206 g	no DV

Missing nutrients were not analysed by USDA for this food; they are not zero. F marks a value updated from Foundation Foods (April 2026 analytical data). Source: USDA FoodData Central #175139 ("Fish, sardine, Atlantic, canned in oil, drained solids with bone").

Compare sardines with…

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Frequently asked questions

How many calories are in sardines?

Sardines has 177 calories per 3 oz (85 g), or 208 calories per 100 g, according to USDA FoodData Central.

How much protein is in sardines?

20.9 g of protein per 3 oz, which is 42% of the 50 g Daily Value.

What is sardines rich in?

Per serving, sardines is richest in Vitamin B12 at 317% of the Daily Value, Selenium (81%), Protein (42%), Phosphorus (33%).

Is sardines healthy?

By nutrient density, sardines scores 52 on the NRF9.3 index (nine nutrients to encourage minus three to limit, per 100 kcal). Its nutrient profile is anti-inflammatory compared with other whole foods. See the methodology page for how both scores work; this is data, not medical advice.

More fish and seafood

Nutrient values are from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, April 2018; Foundation Foods, April 2026) and shown per serving as described on each page. %DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. This is nutrition data for general information, not medical or dietary advice; talk to a clinician or registered dietitian about your own needs. How the numbers are calculated.