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Worst Canned Tuna Brands to Buy: Avoid These 7!

These canned tuna brands aren’t good for your health! 

Let’s talk a bit about canned tuna. It’s affordable, full of protein, and convenient to eat as a long-lasting snack anywhere. It will last quite a while on your pantry shelves, and if you have a big family, it will be even better if you buy it in bulk.

But with a plethora to choose from, it can be a bit overwhelming to choose the best ones, that are both healthy and affordable. We’ve got you covered if you’ve had enough of your current tuna brand and need to try something different!

Down below, with the help of some nutritionists, we’ve made a list of some of the worst canned tuna brands that, even if they’re a bargain, you should stay away from.

canned tuna brands
Photo by Walter Eric Sy from Shutterstock

Century Tuna

Among the worst canned tuna brands that you can buy is Century Tuna. Why? Well, according to its nutritional values, it’s packed in oil, which is a no-no from the start. Instead of getting a scoop full of protein, you will end up having more oil than meat in your can.

Secondly, the fish is loaded with vegetable oil, particularly highly refined soy oil, also known as soybean oil. Tuna flakes, water, brown sugar, iodized salt, thickeners (cornstarch, guar gum), whey powder, natural ground spices (garlic, ginger, onion, cinnamon, chili), and artificial flavors (tuna, chicken) are also listed among their extensive list of ingredients.

Cento

If Cento is a brand you are familiar with, you are probably aware of its stunning tomatoes. However, we recommend avoiding its canned solid white Albacore tuna because it’s among the worst canned tuna brands.

A major drawback is that, despite having extra virgin olive oil, which is healthy and recommended for consumption, this can is also loaded with salt.

Stay with the tomatoes when it comes to Cento, and if possible, combine them with another brand of canned tuna for a delicious dinner salad.

Walmart Great Value

Everybody loves Walmart for its great prices, the fact that you can buy in bulk, and of course the plethora of things you can choose from. However, we advise you to stay away from their chunky light tuna in vegetable oil.

This tuna becomes somewhat mushy and is challenging to remove all of the oil from. When making tuna salad, the additional fat from mayo can make the dish overly oily and not so tasty either. Although the tuna is labeled as packed, it looks to be more like tuna pieces floating in oil.

In addition, those who are intolerant to soy cannot consume tuna because the ingredient list indicates that it has been preserved in soybean oil.

Safe Catch

Safe catch is so pricey, and this point is not earned at all! In fact, according to nutritionists, Safe Catch is one of those canned tuna brands it’s better to stay away from.

The flavor of this pinky-grey chunk of tuna is excessively salty and metallic. Even worse was the aftertaste, which had a fishy aftertaste that was definitely not clean tuna.

The brand receives credit for not having a particularly dry texture, but this does not compensate for the disappointing flavor. Avoid buying this one for your tuna recipes.

Photo by Billy F Blume Jr from Shutterstock

Bumble Bee

Both the Bumble Bee solid white albacore and the lemon, sesame, and ginger-seasoned tuna score very low on the nutritional scale. The solid white albacore tuna from Bumble Bee opens up to reveal, to put it mildly, a basic mush hockey puck.

Even cats dislike it, which is a warning sign! By pointing out that this tuna is packed in vegetable oil rather than olive oil, Bumble Bee provides an illusion of integrity. Let’s not forget about the additional ingredients, such as vegetable broth and soybean oil, that aren’t typically present in higher-quality canned tuna brands.

The one with sesame, ginger, and lemon sounds good at first glance because flavored tunas are usually a good idea. But it isn’t the best combo for packaged tuna.

According to many customers, this combination makes the tuna taste chemical and not appealing at all. Of course, the package looks nice, and it’s easy to carry around since it has a travel size, but it’s way too expensive for what it has to offer.

Chicken of the Sea

Chicken of the Sea is one of the canned tuna brands that is better to not be consumed, not even if it’s your last resort. Better eat a salad with no meat at all! We don’t mean to be bad about it, but according to nutritionists, besides having a kind of dry taste no matter if it’s with or without oil, it also has a metallic aftertaste that’s not easy to deal with.

Preservatives and vegetable broth with a soy base are among the other ingredients found in the can among tuna. Soy once more? Better not!

Trader Joe’s

Same as the one from Walmart, while most of the stuff we buy from Trader Joe’s is very affordable and good-quality, their tuna is among one of the worst canned tuna brands available. Besides having a pretty low nutritional score, it also costs a lot more than other canned tuna.

According to various customers, this can also lack taste even while it’s covered by olive oil and salt. Another downside is that the tuna pieces were also so tiny that a lot of them drained out with the oil.

Now check what canned tuna brands are 100% safe to eat because they’re both healthy and very tasty: 

Kirkland

Kirkland is the brand name of a Costco store that usually offers better value than its rivals. Because they only use tuna, salt, and water as ingredients, both the flavor and texture are excellent. The chunkiness of the tuna, which gave it a more robust and meaty appearance, is also a huge plus.

This is an excellent choice for dishes like tuna salad or tuna casserole, where the texture and meatiness of the tuna complement the dish. Another reason we highly recommend Kirkland out of all canned tuna brands is that it doesn’t have an overly fishy taste or smell.

Wild Planet Skipjack

We don’t know if you ever tried Wild Planet Skipjack, but it definitely stands out when it comes to tasty canned tuna brands. You will only taste pure ingredients that smell more like ocean waters than sour fish because there is no additional water or oil of any kind. The fact that it isn’t greasy or packed with oil means that you can use it in casseroles and salads without the risk of spoiling the dish.

You can find it in a variety of stores, including large ones like Walmart, Kirkland, and even Trader Joe’s. Sure, it might be a tad expensive compared to other canned tuna brands, but if you want to treat yourself to healthy, high-quality tuna, it might be worth the money.

American Tuna

Especially the pole caught wild albacore! Do you need any reasons to buy this product? Well, let’s see. Based on customers’s reviews and, most importantly, according to a few well-known nutritionists, this brand is probably one of the best available on the market at this moment.

Founded by a family, American Tuna is proud to support American fishing communities. Given that some of the other brands on this list are owned by Asian conglomerates, that is noteworthy. Fans of this brand adore its well-seasoned tuna flavor and fresh-cooked texture, indicating that it serves up mighty fine fish.

Each serving only contains 160 calories and 24 grams of protein which is pretty good. Even if most cans have added salt, the level of sodium in this one is still low compared to other brands, around 130 mg per serving.

Reading about food made you hungry, and you’re thinking about making a tasty tuna salad tonight? Then you require a nice bowl to toss in every veggie you like. And of course, where to find the perfect bowl if not on Amazon? This set of 2 large salad bowls is dishwasher and refrigerator-safe for easy cleaning and convenience. It’s available at the price of $16.99.

Are you new to the page but you enjoyed reading our article and you’re up for some other healthy tips? Check out: 8 Delicious High-Protein Snacks You’ll Love

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