One advantage of canned sardines is they are already pre-cooked so they are ready to go immediately. The following recipe can be whipped up in a matter of minutes and goes great on its own, or paired with a side option (I personally like pairing it with a smoothie. See my smoothie recipes linked here)

• 1-2 cups arugula, spinach, bok choy or other leafy green

• 1-2 tbsp olive oil

• ¼ - ½ tbsp balsamic or apple cider vinegar

• 1 tin of canned bone-in skin-on sardines, drained (the brand I like is linked here)

• Salt, pepper, spices to taste

• 2 rice cakes to crush up and serve as “croutons”

  377 calories 24g protein 18g carbs 23g fat (calculated with 1 tbsp olive oil)

It’s as simple as adding everything to a bowl and tossing. The sardines are so soft they will naturally flake apart and will end up almost like little cubes of chicken breast in the salad. Speaking of that, diced chicken breast or cooked salmon are fine alternatives to the sardines. The olive oil and vinegar serve as a dressing that goes great with the sardines. Feel free to add more veggies if you wish, especially if you are looking to make this more of a main dish. In its current form, this is more of a small side salad, intended to be paired with something else. Raw sliced cucumber, carrot shavings, tomato slices, sliced bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions are all great options. Some crumbled feta or parmesan cheese are also great additions. I like to crush up a couple of rice cakes to serve as “croutons”. They also help to absorb some of the dressing so it’s not all pooled at the bottom of the bowl.