The humble herring is one fish that deserves a closer look. It’s a versatile, healthy and convenient food that can be consumed out of the can as a snack, or as part of a meal.
Roaming in huge schools across the Atlantic, North and Baltic seas, this little fish became a staple in almost all of Europe’s diverse culinary traditions a millennium ago (read more on the herring’s historical role in Mark Kurlansky’s great book Salt: A World History). Many Christians (and those who want to focus on lighter healthier fare) use the Lenten month traditionally devoted to fasting and reflection to rediscover fish at the center of their dinner plates—from fried herring toasts as a lean March dinner to gefillte fish on Passover or carp on Good Friday (Karfreitag).
Highly Nutritious
Many Germans enjoy pickled or canned herring once a week, and so should you. In 2022, the FDA published an advisory for pregnant women and parents on the healthiest fish to consume. Herring is in the top bracket and the FDA recommends eating herring (and other “superfish”) three times a week. While fresh herring has the most nutritional benefits, canned herring is also full of antioxidants, Omega 3 fatty acids and other valuable nutrients. This beneficial nutritional profile is shared by herring’s North Sea and Baltic Sea cousins sprat (Kieler Sprotte), mackerel, and sardines.
According to the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung (The German Nutrition Society (DGE), a typical nutrition profile for herring products in oil has a ton of great nutrients:
(Herring in Oil in 100 gr. tin)
- Energy 335 kcal
- Fat 31.3 g
- Carbohydrates 0 g
- Protein 14.3 g
- Water 51.3 g
- Retinol equivalency 16.0 µg
- Vitamin A (Retinol) 15.0 µg
- ß-Carotin 4.00 µg
- Vitamin D (Calciferol) 18.0 µg
- Vitamin E (Tocopherol) 13.4 mg
- Vitamin K 1.00 µg
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) 25.0 µg
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 99.0 µg
- Niacinäquivalent 4.47 mg
- Pantothenic acid 516 µg
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxin) 166 µg
- Biotin 6.00 µg
- Total folic acids 3.00 µg
- Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) 5.00 µg
- Vitamin C (Ascorbin acid) 384 µg
- Natrium 854 mg
- Kalium 283 mg
- Calcium 50.0 mg
- Magnesium 27.0 mg
- Phosphor 199 mg
- Chlor 1.29 g
- Iron 871 µg
- Zinc 777 µg
- Copper 253 µg
- Mangan 20.0 µg
- Fluorided 275 µg
- Iodium 23.0 µg
- Fiber 0 g
- Saccharose 0 g
- Cholesterol 72.0 mg
- alcoho 0 g
- saturated fatty acids 4.69 g
- Omega-3 Fettsäuren 1.81 g
- Omega-6 Fettsäuren 12.2 g
