window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-GEQWY429QJ');
Culture October 15, 2016
You know exactly what you want to cook for this week’s girls night: something healthy, but also drool-worthy. When you think of fresh fish filets, you immediately think of salmon. But your local grocery is all out and you only have a few hours until dinner. What’s a healthy foodie to do?
Dive into the plethora of other delicious, healthy fish options! Here are five types of fish that not only taste good, but also pack a nutritional punch. Your girlfriends – and your Instagram feed – will never be more impressed.
One of the best traits of Atlantic Mackerel is that it reproduces quickly. As a result, it can be harvested more often without risk of extinction – which means you can have zero environmental guilt as you savor your Friday night dinner. As for its nutritional value, Eating Well describes it as a “strong tasting” fish that boasts plenty of Omega-3s (AKA, heart helpers) and 20 grams of protein in a three ounce filet. If you’re hitting the gym right before dinner, this might be the perfect fish to with which you can (deliciously!) refuel!
If you were really craving salmon, its close cousin – arctic char – could be a delicious alternative. As Eat This, Not That explains, fresh arctic char is great, but farm-raised is also a good buy since arctic char farmed in the U.S. is raised in clean tanks. Arctic char is also a nutritional rock star, offering plenty of carotenoids (vitamin A that fights body fat and disease-causing free radicals) and omega-3s.
Before you start crinkling your nose at the idea of sardines, take a peek at why its dominating plenty of “superfood” lists. According to Eating Well, each three-ounce serving offers more omega-3s than salmon, tuna or any other food. It also is one of the only foods that boasts high vitamin D levels. Though sardines were overharvested in the 1940s, they have rebounded, making them an ethical dinner as well. It also doesn’t hurt that they’re one of the cheaper healthy kinds of fish you can buy!
Speaking of money, rainbow trout also offers plenty of (edible) bang for its buck. Rodale’s Organic Life suggests keeping the scales on when cooking and dressing rainbow trout with spices ranging from basic lemon to paprika to mushroom. Keeping the scales on also lets you can also crust the fish without adding extra oil. You should consider, however, that while trout isn’t endangered, several species native to Lake Huron or Lake Michigan are under the threat of extinction or are contaminated by chemicals like PCBs.
For all you hardcore healthy foodies, albacore tuna topped the list of the “Healthiest Fish on the Planet” according to Rodale’s Organic Life. You’ve probably heard warnings about the mercury level in albacore tuna. However, tuna that is troll or pole caught in western U.S. and Canadian waters have lower mercury levels. Catching the fish by troll or pole instead of nets also lowers the environmental impact because other fish species can’t be accidentally harmed in the process. While your local grocery might not offer albacore tuna, you can buy it online from brands like American Tuna, Pacific Fleet, MaryLu Seafoods and Wild Planet.
There’s nothing fishy about these five nutritious and tasty alternatives. In addition to boosting your health, they also offer variety and spontaneity to your typical girls night dinner. And who knows, after trying one (or all five) of these delicious delicacies, you may decide you like it more than salmon!
On a health kick? Read ENTITY’s tips on How to Sneak More Healthy Veggies Into Your Diet.