Sardines and Bread - the russian touch

A few months ago, there was a certain brand of sardines on sale at one of the local supermarkets.

It was a promotional sale - two at the price of one. There were two versions: in oil and in brine. I bought those in brine. Very salty stuff, so I put it in water to eliminate some of its salt, and at the same time I told myself that I won't be buying it any more. Salt, like sugar and oil, definitely has its drawbacks.

 oil version (orange colored ); only two tins available on  shelf

Well, I  did buy it again. ( At present, it's not available on the shelf.  I suppose they'll bring it  in the cold months when people drink hot tea and/or vodka that go well with salty foods ). 
So, what made me buy it again?

I've noticed that  if I put even a small  sardine in my egg and veggies sandwich , it keeps me satiated  for quite a while. That's important if you wish to maintain normal body weight. I checked nutritional values: 21 gram protein per 100 gram sardines; ok! On the other hand, Tuna in brine, has even more protein, and less salt...so, why  buy this particular sardine stuff?

Good question. Well, I never felt that tuna, with all its  popularity as a healthy, low calorie-high protein sandwich filling -  kept  me satiated for long.  Perhaps it's an entirely subjective feeling that has nothing to do with reality. I don't  know. I need some more time to find out the answer.

There are no additives in this product (Ivasi); just sardines, water and lots of salt (350mg). Sardines have one obvious advantage over tuna: the little softened, white bones full of calcium which is said to be beneficial to our bones.

Anyway, for some reason, these  sardines are popular with customers of russian descent (have I mentioned vodka?!)   The owners of the supermarket (actually a chain of supermarkets), are also of russian descent ; that would explain why this product is not found elsewhere.

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Many of the above customers  also buy bread made of spelt flour . Spelt is considered the wild ancestor of wheat. In the 18th century it was the main food source for the russian peasants. Today, spelt is experiencing  a 'comeback' , an increase in popularity, as russians everywhere are becoming more health-conscious.

 packed sliced loaves of spelt bread on the supermarket's shelves

loaf of spelt bread - the wrapping paper - not eco friendly

Spelt bread is relatively high in protein and thus, of great help to those with dietary intentions, as it serves as a metabolic booster, and gives one a feeling of fullness. Two slices of this quite tasty bread  keep you going for most of the day. If only they would wrap it in an eco-friendly way! 

slices of spelt bread

The non-lazy  among potential consumers can buy the spelt flour package and bake, the real thing, at home.

packages with spelt flour