Fish In The Diet
Today I’ll be discussing fish and its place in the diet.
Fish is a fantastic source of Omega-3, unsaturated fat, iron and protein. In the UK, it’s recommended for adults to consume at least 2 portions (140g) of fish a week, where at least 1 portion is oily fish. However, we do not consume enough fish as a population. Fish is an allergen, so it can’t be consumed by some people for that reason. Some people choose to exclude fish from their diet for other reasons.
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How can you eat more fish?
Firstly, do you like fish? If you don’t, I want you to ask yourself a few questions:
When was the last time you had fish?
Could you be open to exploring fish and seeing if your preferences have changed since then?
Why did you not like it before?
What fish was it?
Could you try it again?
Could you cook it in a different way?
Could you try a different type of fish?
There are many fantastic recipes online on how to cook fish. If you haven’t had fish for a long time or aren’t a huge fan but are willing to try it again, I suggest trying recipes which aren’t very “fishy”. White fish like Tilapia, Cod, Prawns and Haddock can be quite meaty in texture. My other suggestions is to make recipes where the fish is not the main aspect of the dish. For example, I suggest trying my Prawn Saagwala Curry or Tofu and Prawn Katsu Curry. Cook fish in various ways, be adventurous and try different cuisines, spice it up!
When cooking fish, where possible, try to steam, bake or grill it as frying can increase the saturated fat content. However, there’s nothing wrong is enjoying some fried fish every now and then, especially if you are only starting to introduce fish into your diet.
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The Environment
If the environment is a concern for you, there are ways you can continue to consume fish while being mindful. For example, you can increase your range of fish you consume. By having a narrow choice in fish, it puts strain on those particular fish. As a UK population, we mainly consume salmon, cod, haddock, prawns and tuna. By expanding our range of fish we consume, it will ease the pressure up the food chain.
Food labels - “Responsibly” sourced vs “Sustainably” sourced fish
When buying fresh fish, information on how the fish was caught and where will be available on the pack. The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in an individual council that set standards on sustainable fishing practices. The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is another independent organisation which provides a third-party certification programme and labels for responsibly farmed seafood.
When fresh fish is “responsibly” sourced and approved by the ASC, it will have the ASC green fish label on the packaging. This means the fish was farmed in a way which met the standards of the ASC.
When fresh fish is “sustainably” sourced and approved by the MSC, it will have the blue MSC label on the packaging. Sustainably sourced fish is wild seafood has been caught in a way that means there’s plenty more fish in the sea now and in the future.
Where possible, aim to buy fish with either of these labels to ensure the fish you are consuming has been sourced ethically and with the environment in mind.
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If you don’t eat fish
If you can’t/wont eat fish, you’ll need to replace the nutrition provided by fish. You can take an omega-3 supplement. As an adult, aim for a supplement which contains a combination of EPA and DHA, of around a 450-500mg a day. This will roughly equate to the amount of 2 oily fish portions a week.
If you are taking any medications, especially blood thinning medications, first speak with your GP before supplementing.
Other sources of omega-3 include:
Nuts and seeds
Vegetable oils
Soybeans and soy products
Fish is also a source of unsaturated fats which you’ll need to ensure are somewhere in your diet. Along with the foods listed as sources of omega-3s, sources of unsaturated fats are:
Avocado
Beans
Olives
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I hope You have found this helpful and informative. If you need individualised advice of your diet and how to ensure your diet is meeting your nutritional needs, book a Free 15 Minute Discovery Call to get started!
Until next time!