You probably already know that you’re supposed to be eating fish two times a week. Fish are a lean, healthy source of protein—and the oily ones, such as salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel, deliver those heart- and brain-healthy omega-3 fats you’ve probably also heard you should be getting in your eating plan.
Not all fish are the same. So it’s vital to know how to make sure you get the best out of what you eat.
FISH TO CONSUME
Lean Fish
Lean seafood has fewer calories than the fatty kind — and lots of protein. For example, low-fat fish like tilapia, cod, flounder, and sole have fewer than 120 calories in a 3-ounce serving and give you plenty of protein.
If you don’t like fish but want to get more seafood into your diet, tilapia and cod can be a good starting point. Neither has much of a fishy taste. They also tend to take on the flavor of a marinade or sauce.
Fish High in Omega-3s
Found in fatty, oily fish, omega-3 fatty acids can help your heart in a number of ways. Just a couple of 4-ounce servings of seafood with them each week can lower your chances of heart disease by 36%. Omega-3s might make you less likely to have conditions like stroke and Alzheimer’s disease, too.
Good sources of these healthy acids include:
Salmon
Herring
Anchovies
Sardines
Trout
Atlantic Mackerel
This species is a fast-growing fish, meaning it can repopulate easily and handle higher amounts of fishing. The gear used to catch types of atlantic mackerel is efficient and not likely to cause major habitat destruction, another reason this guy is an ocean-friendly choice. This strong-flavored fish is high in heart-healthy omega-3s, a good source of protein—delivering 20 grams in a 3-ounce fillet—and pairs well with bold seasonings.
Sardines, Wild-Caught (including canned)
The tiny, inexpensive sardine is making it onto many lists of superfoods and for good reason.
FISH NOT TO CONSUME
Sharks,Skate and Rays
These fish are extremely high in mercury, which is bad for human health.
What’s more, sharks, skate and rays have long lives and they mature late, meaning they do not reproduce until they are older.Shark-finning is illegal in the U.S., but its practice in other areas is causing devastation in shark-population worldwide.
Atlantic cod
Atlantic cod in history is a species seen to be very important in feeding the New World civilization and early colonization of the Caribbean Sea. But the heavy fishing over the last thousand years has taken its toll. In the late 1990s, the fishery collapsed.
The female cod releases more than a hundred millions of eggs, only a few are able to survive to adulthood. Scientists agree that North Atlantic food webs have changed as a result of the Atlantic Cod collapse, and the species is currently considered vulnerable to extinction.If you are someone that really likes cod liver oil, make sure it’s not gotten from Atlantic cod. Instead, go for Alaskan cod.
Monkfish
This fish is not good for consumption.It looks like a catfish in that it has whiskers and is a bottom-dweller, but its light, fresh taste made it a staple for gourmets. The fish is recovering some after being depleted, but the trawlers that drag for it also threaten the habitat where it lives.
