Sardines as food

Tinned sardines on toast with lemon and black pepper The bold choice, and a very cheap one. Tip a tin, in oil or tomato sauce, onto hot toast, mash lightly with a fork and finish with black pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Sardines are an oily fish, and a balanced diet should include at least one portion of oily fish a week; the soft bones in tinned ones are edible, bringing calcium and phosphorus. No cooking at all beyond the toaster. It is not for everyone first thing, and the smell lingers in a shared office kitchen, so this one is best eaten at home.