Authored by: Coty Perry, Your Bass Guy, https://www.linkedin.com/in/coty-perry/
As more and more people become aware of the food they’re putting in their mouth, fish continue to climb the ladder in terms of “healthy food options.”
Would you believe we have to worry about healthy food choices? That even something like fish could be hazardous to our health if we’re not careful.
With age comes awareness and only you have the ability to choose healthy dinner options. Here are some of the healthiest fish options and why they’re the right choice.
1. Wild Caught Salmon
It’s so easy to think that all salmon is healthy for you and while it’s a better choice than a McDonald’s hamburger, you can still do harm by eating salmon. Most fish contain mercury and the process of producing and harvesting the fish plays a major role in the amount of mercury in the fish.
If you notice, we’ll only recommend wild caught fish for this reason. For example, one serving of canned albacore tuna has a rating of .354 mercury concentration. Wild caught salmon is .022 so you can eat a lot more of it without worrying about mercury.
2. Wild Caught Sardines
Sardines don’t typically come to mind when you think of a healthy fish but believe it or not, they have a low mercury concentration and they’re loaded with omega-3s and important vitamins.
Another reason we recommend them is because they’re affordable and easy to prepare for seniors who may not have an elaborate kitchen or extensive food budget. In fact, you could eat them right out of the can if you want.
3. Lake Trout
Freshwater fish like black bass or trout tend to be healthier than a lot of farmed fish you’ll find in the grocery store. These fish can be harder to come by and you might have to look towards local farmers markets for them but it’s worth it.
They also contain a high amount of omega-3s, vitamin B, and potassium. The best lake trout come from cold water lakes and streams in the North and the colder temperature provides a better taste because the water they’re fished in is less murky.
4. Mackerel
Atlantic mackerel is one of the healthiest fish you can put on your plate. It contains almost no mercury and this species of fish is usually caught in high-quality conditions outside of fish farms. This means that the fish is naturally harvested, processed, and put in stores.
If you can, always try to get fresh fish and avoid the ones that are frozen. Even if it’s advertised as “flash frozen” a lot of the nutrients are eliminated during the freezing process.
5. Pacific Cod
Cod contains iodine which is great for thyroid health. It’s also a low-fat fish choice for those who might be watching what they eat more carefully. The important thing to look for with cod is that it’s Northern cod, typically from the Pacific. Be sure to avoid any fish products from Central America because they’re produced in low-quality conditions.
How to Identify Poor Quality Fish
The most important thing to remember is that just because it’s “fish” doesn’t mean it’s healthy. First of all, you want to avoid any brand of fish that says it’s caught in Asia or Central America. These fish are farmed in pens where they feed on their own feces and other dead fish.
These fish contain super high mercury concentrations and the health benefits are next to none by the time they reach your table.
If you look at a label and it says “wild caught in the United States and certified by Seafood Watch” you can know that it’s high-quality fish packed with vitamins and nutrients. Do your due diligence and shop carefully next time you’re at the grocery store!
