Group · Fish
Sardines (cooked)
The sardine is the most emblematic oily fish of the French coast. Grilled whole on the barbecue or pan-fried, it is eaten with the skin and soft bones when small, which is no detail, as explained below.
In terms of nutrition facts, grilled, it provides 194 kcal per 100 g with 25.1 g of protein and 10.4 g of fat. Its remarkable figures: 12 µg of vitamin B12 and 12.3 µg of vitamin D per 100 g, respectively nearly five times and two and a half times the reference intakes. It also contains 130 mg of calcium and 320 mg of phosphorus per 100 g.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 194 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 812 kJ |
| Protein | 25,1 g |
| Fat | 10,4 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Vitamin B1212 µg480 %
- Vitamin D12,3 µg246 %
- Selenium38 µg69 %
- Phosphorus320 mg46 %
- Vitamin B36,9 mg43 %
- Vitamin B60,41 mg29 %
- Iodine32 µg21 %
- Potassium400 mg20 %
See the other 10 nutrients
- Vitamin B20,25 mg18 %
- Calcium130 mg16 %
- Vitamin B50,88 mg15 %
- Copper0,14 mg14 %
- Zinc1,4 mg14 %
- Iron1,7 mg12 %
- Magnesium34 mg9 %
- Manganese0,08 mg4 %
- Vitamin E0,31 mg3 %
- Vitamin B94 µg2 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
This is the oily fish to remember if you only remember one. Anses recommendations (two portions of fish a week, one of them oily) are covered by a single plate of sardines. And it is one of the cheapest fish on the counter.
The calcium comes from the bones. 130 mg per 100 g, which is considerable for a fish: it comes from the small bones eaten with the flesh. Tinned sardines, whose bones are softened by sterilisation, take this logic even further.
Small fish, few contaminants. Unlike tuna, the sardine sits low on the food chain and has a short life: it accumulates very little mercury. That is a solid argument for making it a habit rather than an exception.
Grilled, it needs nothing. Three minutes per side on a very hot grill, with lemon and parsley. Its own fat is enough for cooking: adding oil brings nothing.
Freshness shows in the eye and the scales. A bulging, shiny eye, scales that stick, a rigid body. A soft sardine is recognisable immediately, and this is a fish that does not forgive waiting: eat it the day you buy it.
Sources
Average nutritional values per 100 g, provided for guidance only (may vary by brand, cut and preparation).
