Research has shown time and again that
eating more fish prevents heart disease. Below are some quick tips regarding our favorite seafoods.
Shrimp are quick, easy and delicious. It does contain a lot of cholesterol but it's very
low in fat(especially saturated fat) and the single most important thing in a
healthydiet is not eating less cholesterol, but limiting the amount of saturated fat. Most of the shrimp that you find in the grocery has been frozen so it's not a bad idea to look for a good quality frozen shrimp and keep some on hand. Only purchase thawed shrimp if you are going to use it that day.
Sea scallops are sweet, succulent, meaty and satisfying. A 4-ounce serving of scallops has only 100
calories and less than a gram of fat. Sea scallops are widely available fresh these days. They should be a translucent creamy color (some are slightly pink). Look for scallops labeled chemical free," because treated scallops tend to have a bitter taste.
Mussels are quick and easy to cook. They are inexpensive and you can use them in almost any recipe that you might use clams. Mussels are
low in fat, calories and cholesterol and oh, so tasty. One pound of mussels in the shell is about 3.5 ounces of edible fish and there's less than 100 calories with under 2 grams of fat (so eat a couple pounds if you like). Most mussels that you will find in the grocery are grown on farms. They are cultivated on long ropes along coastlines and in tidal pools or bays. The most common variety is the blue mussel has a dark blue to almost black shell. Mussels, like all live shellfish need to be kept ice cold. Buy mussels only at fish counters where the other fish looks fresh. Look for clean mussels with tightly closed shells--open shells indicate that the mussel might be dead.
Clams are also a great choice. Like mussels, they are low in
fat and
calories and are widely available. They are great simply steamed but also wonderful in any fish soup, chowder or fish stew. Also like mussels you want to purchase clams as close to the time that you are going to cook them as possible. Keeping them sitting on top of a bed of ice will keep them fresh a lot longer.
If you love crab but don't much like fighting with your
food (as with whole crabs or crab legs), purchase crab meat and let someone else do the work. You'll find it sold in a variety of forms, but crab meat will keep for only a few days in your refrigerator. Crabs do have a moderate amount of cholesterol but they are very low in calories and saturated fat. The key is to pair crabs in
recipes with
good fats like olive oil.
Fin fish is pretty simple. It's great for you, eat more of it. Buy it as fresh as you can and if you can't buy really fresh fish, frozen is a good choice. That's it. There's not much more that you need to know. First and foremost, buy what you like and quite simply get what's fresh. You are far better off going to the grocery, choosing a great piece of fish and THEN coming home and picking a recipe than you would be if you said "I am going to have salmon tonight." If the salmon doesn't look great, choose another fish that does and then choose the recipe. If you are not used to eating fish, review this list. Most all of these fish are easy to find in the grocery store and are so good for you. The following fish are more fatty, high in
Omega-3 fats, so choose these more often: halibut, grouper, sea bass, salmon and tuna.
Less fatty fish include: redfish, trout, catfish, perch and sole.
Even if you don't have the time to cook an elaborate recipe, fish is one of the quickest and easiest meals that you can make. Simply preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place a pan inside. While the oven is heating sprinkle each 4-ounce fish fillet with about 1/8 teaspoon salt and then pepper if you like. Sprinkle about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite herb over the top. When the oven is hot, spray the pan lightly with olive oil and then place the fish inside. After it has cooked for about 4 minutes on one side turn the fish and drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil over the top. In another 4 minutes or so your fish is done. Squeeze a little lemon over the top and you are ready to eat. That's less time than it takes to make a frozen pizza in the microwave.
