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Tips for Adding Seafood to Your Diet

Cultures around the world embrace seafood as an excellent addition to any diet. Fish dishes also offer a fresh way to get much-needed protein. Almost all of today’s diet trends have a strong base in consuming quality sources of protein. Most types of fish are a lean source of protein that is low in fat and cholesterol. This means eating seafood can be a healthy and delicious way to diversify your diet.

Health Benefits from Eating Seafood
Fish can be a little intimidating to master as a cook, but a healthy seafood dish can be well worth your time in terms of the nutritional benefits, including:

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Certain types of seafood contain high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids. These essential fatty acids can help heart health, brain function, mood, energy, certain autoimmune disorders, vision, sleep, and decrease the risk of stroke. Fatty fish like salmon, trout, sardines, tuna, herring, and mackerel have the highest amounts of Omega 3.
• Vitamin D: Many people are deficient in vitamin D, which is why seafood is an excellent way to add this crucial vitamin to your diet. Salmon and herring are both excellent sources of vitamin D.
• Other Vitamins and Minerals: Seafood packs a nutritional punch with additional vitamins and minerals like vitamin A and B-complex as well as iron, zinc, iodine, and selenium. Shellfish really excels in providing these needed minerals to your diet.
• Lean Source of Protein: As mentioned, seafood can be the perfect way to get more protein in your diet without a huge caloric impact.

Diet Trends and Potential Concerns
For followers of diet trends, the most popular ones encourage eating multiple servings of seafood each week. Paleo, Keto, South Beach, Whole30, Mediterranean, and DASH diets are example diets including seafood.

Although it is also important to mention there are potential health concerns for consuming seafood with high levels of mercury, for example, young children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding women should be especially careful with their consumption of seafood high in mercury. Fish found with the highest levels of mercury are swordfish, tuna, sea bass, and king mackerel.

The Environmental Working Group provides a handy Seafood Calculator based on your weight, age, and sex. It offers a full breakdown of the healthiest seafood to eat as well as what to avoid. Find the calculator here: https://www.ewg.org/research/ewg-s-consumer-guide-seafood/seafood-calculator.

Do you have a unique seafood recipe? Where is your favorite seafood market? Tell our team at Eat, Heal, Travel via our Twitter or Facebook page.