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The Healthiest Canned Tuna and Fish, Graded A to F. The Whole Aisle Scored B- or Better.

The healthiest canned tuna and fish are the no-salt-added packs, but the honest answer is that you can hardly go wrong in this aisle. Most of our report cards are an exposé. This one isn’t. Canned fish is the rare aisle where the health reputation is fully earned: we graded every sardine, tuna and salmon we could find, and every single one landed a B- or better. These are protein and omega-3 powerhouses, shelf-stable and cheap, and the label barely has room to go wrong. The only thing separating them is what gets added on the way into the can, namely salt and sauce. The no-salt-added packs lead, the heavier tomato-and-basil sauce trails, and that narrow gap is the whole spread. So this report card is less ‘who failed’ and more a confident yes, go ahead and eat the canned fish.

The verdict

We graded 15 canned fish A–F: the category averages 79/100 (B), from 83 (B+) at the top down to 72 (B-) at the bottom.

Every canned fish we graded landed B- or better. Safe Catch Elite Wild Tuna and Wild Planet No Salt Added Wild Sardines in Water tied for the top at B+ (83); the Brunswick Sardines in Tomato & Basil Sauce trailed at B- (72), separated only by added salt and sauce, not the fish.

Top of the class B+ Safe Catch Elite Wild Tuna 83/100
Bottom of the class B- Brunswick Sardines in Tomato & Basil Sauce 72/100

The top picks, with the receipts

#1 Safe Catch Elite Wild Tuna B+ 83/100

Pros

  • No added sugar
  • No saturated fat
  • 24 g protein per serving

Cons

  • No fiber

#2 Wild Planet No Salt Added Wild Sardines in Water B+ 83/100

Pros

  • No added sugar
  • Low sodium at 69.7 mg
  • Clean, short ingredient list

Cons

  • No fiber

#3 Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore Tuna in Water B+ 82/100

Pros

  • No saturated fat
  • 13 g protein per serving
  • Clean, short ingredient list

Cons

  • No fiber

#4 Wild Planet Albacore Wild Tuna B+ 82/100

Pros

  • Low saturated fat at 1 g
  • 21 g protein per serving
  • Clean, short ingredient list

Cons

  • No fiber

#5 Wild Planet Wild Pink Salmon B+ 82/100

Pros

  • No added sugar
  • No saturated fat
  • 18 g protein per serving

Cons

  • No fiber

Pros and cons come straight from each product’s own label. A dimension is listed only when its sub-score is decisive (78 or above for a pro, 62 or below for a con), so a merely-average number never gets sold as a strength. Every figure is per labeled serving — full panels on each product page.

The full report card — all 15 canned fish, ranked

#Canned fishGradeScoreWeakest link
1 Safe Catch — Elite Wild Tuna B+ 83 fiber (30/100)
2 Wild Planet — No Salt Added Wild Sardines in Water B+ 83 fiber (30/100)
3 Bumble Bee — Solid White Albacore Tuna in Water B+ 82 fiber (30/100)
4 Wild Planet — Albacore Wild Tuna B+ 82 fiber (30/100)
5 Wild Planet — Wild Pink Salmon B+ 82 fiber (30/100)
6 Wild Planet — Wild Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil B+ 81 fiber (30/100)
7 Bumble Bee — Chunk Light Tuna in Water B+ 80 fiber (30/100)
8 Chicken Of The Sea — Chicken Of The Sea, Pink Salmon B+ 80 fiber (30/100)
9 StarKist — Solid White Albacore Tuna in Water B+ 80 fiber (30/100)
10 StarKist — Chunk Light Tuna In Water B 79 fiber (30/100)
11 Beach Cliff — Sardines in Soybean Oil B 78 fiber (30/100)
12 Bumble Bee — Premium Wild Pink Salmon B 77 fiber (30/100)
13 King Oscar — Sardines in Pure Spring Water B 76 fiber (30/100)
14 Season — Sardines in Olive Oil B 75 fiber (30/100)
15 Brunswick — Sardines in Tomato & Basil Sauce B- 72 fiber (30/100)

Worth a closer look

The two ends of the list tell the story. Safe Catch Elite Wild Tuna tops the class at 83/100 (B+); Brunswick Sardines in Tomato & Basil Sauce anchors the bottom at 72/100 (B-). Click any product for its full fact sheet — the six dimension sub-scores, the per-serving label, and what would move its grade. Prefer to slice it yourself? Filter every graded product by the dimension you care about.

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How we graded these

Each product is scored on six dimensions — protein density, ingredient quality, added sugar, sodium, fiber, and saturated fat — combined into a 0–100 score and a letter grade. Every number comes from the product’s own label, verified against USDA FoodData Central. The grade is absolute (relative to all packaged foods), which is why a whole category can land in the same band. See the full methodology. Last graded 2026-06-04.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which canned fish scored highest?

The no-salt-added and water-packed options led: Safe Catch Elite Wild Tuna and Wild Planet No Salt Added Wild Sardines in Water tied at the top on B+ (83), with Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore, Wild Planet Albacore and Wild Planet Pink Salmon right behind at B+ (82). See the ranked table above for the exact order and each one’s weakest dimension. The spread is tight, so even the bottom of this list is a solid pick.

Why did the tomato-and-basil sardines score lowest?

Brunswick Sardines in Tomato & Basil Sauce came last because the sauce adds sodium, and sodium is one of our six dimensions. The sardines themselves are excellent — it lost a few points on the sauce, not on protein or omega-3s. A clean example of how the grade is absolute, not a knock on the fish.

Is canned fish healthy?

Yes, this is one of the best aisles in the store. Sardines, tuna and salmon are loaded with protein and omega-3 fats, which is why every option here grades B- or better. The only variable worth watching is added salt, and the no-salt-added packs score highest if you want the cleanest version.

How is the grade calculated?

Six dimensions — protein density, ingredient quality, added sugar, sodium, fiber, and saturated fat — into a 0–100 score and a letter grade, from each product’s own label, verified against USDA data. See our methodology page.

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