Good and bad seafood dishes for your health is important information if you want to know what’s in the dish, how it was cooked, its freshness, and the type of fish. While there are many good choices, there are also bad ones to avoid, and some seafood dishes you should eat cautiously. Whatever seafood dishes you choose, it’s important to reduce cream, oil, salt, bad fats, and mercury.
Good Seafood Dishes for Your Health
Salmon
It’s a delightful and nutritious fish on many menus. Whether fresh or canned, salmon is a good source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. And when canned, it generally has less mercury than tuna. Because fatty fish like salmon have more of the banned chemicals called PCBs, it helps to remove or drain extra fat, skin, and darker meat.
Shrimp Cocktail
The shrimp are usually steamed or boiled, which is a relatively healthy option. They’re high in protein and low in fat and mercury. However, the classic bottled, creamy tomato-based sauces can contain a significant amount of sugar, sometimes listed as “high-fructose corn syrup.” So leave out the sauce, or make your own sugar-free version. Check online for different recipes.
Manhattan clam chowder
Instead of butter and cream, this chowder uses a healthier base of tomatoes along with potatoes, carrots, and onions with little saturated fat. Mercury is not usually a worry with shellfish like mussels, oysters, and clams. Be conscious that ready-to-serve soup has an estimated 1000 mg of sodium in 1 cup.
Grilled Sardines
They are mostly in cans, but you can sometimes get fresh ones at the market. When grilled whole, they are delicious, high in omega-3s, and low in mercury. This is because they’re small and short-lived. Besides, you can get them packed in water instead of oil.
Ceviche
This seafood dish originates from Latin America. It’s made with raw fish, lime juice, and often potatoes and onions. The acid in the lime juice appears to cook it because the flesh changes color. A week in the freezer gets rid of parasites that could make you sick. But the size and type of fish also make a difference, so it’s safer to let a chef make your ceviche.
Anchovies With Salad
Anchovies are less likely to have mercury, PCBs, and other chemicals in their flesh. And they’re loaded with omega-3 fatty acids that your body needs to be at its best. Some packaged anchovies are very salty, so look at the label, especially if you need to control your sodium. Look for white anchovies in vinegar for a less-salty version.
Canned Tuna
This lean fish has protein and some omega-3s. But tuna grows bigger than fish like sardines and anchovies, so they often have more mercury and other chemicals in their flesh. For lower mercury levels, look for the “canned light” kind. If you’re watching your calories and fat, buy tuna packed in water instead of oil.
Oysters
You’ll get protein and zinc, but it’s best to cook oysters, not eat them raw. Lemon juice, hot sauce, or alcohol won’t kill Vibrio. Only thorough cooking will kill the bacteria Vibrio, which cause food poisoning. This bacteria is more common in warmer months, but it can occur at any time. Hepatitis A can also be a risk with shellfish.
Baked Catfish
Farm-raised catfish are low in mercury, eco-friendly, nutritious, and easy to find in open markets and grocery stores. Fried catfish is a favorite for many, but frying adds calories and fat. So bake it for a leaner dish.
Bad Seafood Dishes for Your Health
Fish and Chips
The fact that this fish dish is deep-fried and served with chips is a bad start. The tartar sauce and ketchup served with it add more fat, sugar, and calories. However, if you bake the fish (try it with a cornflake crust for added crunch) and potatoes, you can control the amount of oil. A simple lemon wedge is a low-calorie way to add flavor.
New England clam chowder
Clams are a major ingredient that provides protein in this dish. But the dish also has cream, butter, and salted pork. So you could get high calories, saturated fat, and sodium, which many people need to limit. Save this one for a special treat and eat sparingly.
Seafood Dishes to Eat Cautiously
Broiled Swordfish
Eat cautiously because swordfish is likely to have high levels of mercury. It’s not a big deal to eat once in a while, but too much can damage your brain and kidneys. If you’re pregnant, that may hurt the baby or cause a miscarriage. Infants, the elderly, and those with weak immune systems may fall sick.
Sushi
Though sushi can be good for you, with lean protein, omega-3s, and not a lot of fat, sugar, and calories, there are some drawbacks. Just like broiled swordfish, eat sushi sparingly. Raw fish needs expert handling. Bacteria and parasites don’t get cooked away, but a good chef knows how to keep you safe. And mercury in common sushi fish can start to add up if you overeat.
Tips for cooking seafood at home
When you’re at the market, ensure you remember the following buying tips:
- Seafood shouldn’t smell fishy.
- The fish’s eyes should be clear.
- Buy fillets if bones are a problem
You can cook fish in many ways. You can roast, bake, grill, steam, casserole, fry, or broil. There are many recipes to try, so go on and create new ones. But remember to cook your fish until it flakes easily with a fork.