Introducing Healthy and Sustainable Fish into Your Diet

In looking for healthier menu options, it is wise to consider the addition of 2 or more servings of fish in your diet each week, as recommended by the American Heart Association, among others. Not only is this superfood a good source of tasty protein, most is low in fat, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and it cooks very quickly, reducing your time in the kitchen. To help you in your quest for the best, Monterey Bay Aquarium’s new “Super Green” list makes choosing seafood a lot easier by identifying which types are the healthiest, lowest in toxins like mercury and PCBs, and environmentally friendly.

Almost all fish has less than 10 percent total fat, with the fattiest fish topping out at 15 percent. Some types—such as cod, haddock, sole, monkfish, sturgeon and whiting—have less than 2 grams of fat per serving. For those of you on a low-carbohydrate diet, fish contains between 15 and 30 grams of protein, with the majority sitting in the 20-gram range. A typical 3.5 ounce serving of fish is less than 200 calories, with catfish, flounder, haddock, monkfish, and trout at 100 calories or less.

There are so many ways to cook fish without added fat but that are full of flavor. Steaming fish on a bed of herbs and or lemon slices, baking in parchment with a dash of wine and herbs, using a creole seasoning and frying in a nonstick pan, or grilling on a cedar or alder plank. You can also chop up fish and use in a ceviche, curry, or stew.

Love fish and chips but need to skip the deep fry? I have found a great tasting fish stick to make and I promise that it will be tastier, healthier, lower in fat and sodium, and not made from some pressed and formed fish that is frozen. Serving a crowd and need a quick cooking fish dish? Try grilled halibut kabobs, which are both easy and quick to prep, and cook up in less than 10 minutes. Want to amp up the flavor of a simple grilled or broiled fish? How about a mango salsa to top off that swordfish, halibut, sea bass, or  mahi mahi.

You should try to buy fresh, sustainable fish whenever possible for maximum health benefit and to reduce ingestion of contaminants. The Monterey Bay Aquarium developed its Super Green List with experts at the Harvard School of Public Health and Environmental Defense Fund. Seafood Watch recommendations are science-based, peer reviewed, and use ecosystem-based criteria. Their Super Green List includes seafood that meets the following three criteria:

• Low levels of contaminants (below 216 parts per billion [ppb] mercury and 11 ppb PCBs)
• The daily minimum of omega-3s (at least 250 milligrams per day [mg/d])*
• Classified as a Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch "Best Choice" (green)

To learn which seafood items have the maximum health benefits and are most sustainable, you can visit http://montereybayaquarium.org/supergreen/.