FISH

blossomingbutterfly

I've been doing some research on fish since I'm trying to incorporate it into my lifestyle. I've bought, recently, stuffed scallops, cod, salmon, and perch. So far, my bf and I have enjoyed the stuffed scallops and the perch. The cod was okay, rather bland, but some spices can fix that no problem. We're not fond of the salmon. I'm researching how often/how healthy these are for us though. I'm looking to eat fish about 3-4 times a week. I do sometimes make a tuna salad sandwich, but it's not often. Maybe twice a month if that.

I've found mixed results in terms of if this is safe or not. I'm looking for low mercury & lower calorie, high sustainability, and cost efficient fish choices. I am on a limited budget and there are two of us to feed. I do the best I can with my budget but I'd rather not be spending on expensive fish.

Do you guys have any knowledge that I'm not finding/not aware of in regards to which fish is best or choices similar to those we're enjoying to try? I'd appreciate input as this is a new area for me.

ukaryote

Google for the various fish, sustainability, and safety. In general wild caught has much more flavor than farmed, which would be more sustainable. Smaller fish tend to have less mercury because they are lower on the food chain. Search. You will find lots of info rather than repeating it here.

blossomingbutterfly

That is exactly what I've been doing the past few hours. I'm not exactly finding what I'm looking for in terms of which fish are similar to the ones we've enjoyed, if eating it more than the "recommend two times a week" is okay or not, or cost wise. I've found mixed results for perch since on some sites it says low mercury and on others it's under moderate. What is moderate, exactly, anyways. I'm doing the best I can however having never known much about fish or where to start, it's rather hard to Google what I need to know without really knowing what it is I need to search for to find what I need. I also find it hard to Google the different fishes without being able to name more than 5 of them. I haven't heard of many of them. I've also compared different sites' version of which fish are the "healthiest" and it does vary. I don't know if there is a clear cut answer, that is why I'm asking for help.

ukaryote

OK. Budget is a primary consideration. Fair enough, me too. But you are actively seeking out fish which is a fairly expensive source of protein. All your needs could be met without it.

Why do you want fish, for protein, omega oils, or some other reason?

-- edit --
If it is just because you enjoy it and for variety, then have whatever you want twice a week and IMO you will be safe.

blossomingbutterfly

A couple of reasons. Trying to explore a new food area, lower calories than chicken and beef, my doctor told me more omega oils would be good, and protein is a good reason if I'm trying to get away from chicken and beef. I do enjoy eating certain sushis so I was told fish would be a good area to explore for new supper ideas.

I guess the shorter answer would be newer ideas and to get away from chicken and beef. That and to lower calorie intake.

fatpoppy

We decided to buy a 2 pack box of frozen salmon. One for each person. It was tasty, however looking now at the Nutrition Info, it is showing as sodium per serve 453mg. Isn't that a lot of salt? If so, I won't buy that again. Thanks.

SweatLikeDog

sardines, wild salmon, and anchovies are the healthiest

check mercury here:

http://seaturtles.org/programs/mercury/?list=type&type=75

RodaRose

extremelygrumpycat wrote: »

That is exactly what I've been doing the past few hours. I'm not exactly finding what I'm looking for in terms of which fish are similar to the ones we've enjoyed, if eating it more than the "recommend two times a week" is okay or not, or cost wise. I've found mixed results for perch since on some sites it says low mercury and on others it's under moderate. What is moderate, exactly, anyways. I'm doing the best I can however having never known much about fish or where to start, it's rather hard to Google what I need to know without really knowing what it is I need to search for to find what I need. I also find it hard to Google the different fishes without being able to name more than 5 of them. I haven't heard of many of them. I've also compared different sites' version of which fish are the "healthiest" and it does vary. I don't know if there is a clear cut answer, that is why I'm asking for help.

I hope that this helps.

Eat low on the food chain (small fish like salmon, sardines,. . . )
http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongnutrition/a/fish_mercury.htm


LOWEST MERCURY
Eat 2-3 servings a week (pregnant women and small children should not eat more than 12 ounces (2 servings):
Anchovies
Catfish
Clam
Crab
Crawfish
Flounder
Haddock
Herring
Mackerel
Mullet
Oyster
Perch
Pollock
Salmon
Sardine
Scallop
Shrimp
Sole
Squid
Tilapia
Trout
Whitefish


MODERATE MERCURY
Eat six servings or fewer per month (pregnant women and small children should avoid these):
Bass
Carp
Cod
Halibut
Lobster
Mahi Mahi
Monkfish
Perch
Snapper
Tuna (Canned Chunk light)


HIGH MERCURY
Eat three servings or less per month (pregnant women and small children should avoid these):
Bluefish
Grouper
Sea Bass
Tuna (Canned Albacore, Yellowfin)


HIGHEST MERCURY
Avoid eating (everyone):
Marlin
Orange Roughy
Shark
Swordfish
Tilefish
Tuna (Ahi)

oxers

RodaRose wrote: »

Eat low on the food chain (small fish like salmon, sardines,. . . )

Just as an aside, salmon are neither small nor low on the food chain. "Low on the food chain" fish like tilapia and catfish are sustainable because they're easy to raise, don't get very large and don't require high volumes of other fish to eat and get to market weight - which also incidentally leads to their "muddy" taste. Bottom feeders. The Atlantic salmon, by contrast, can be more than two feet long and gets that way by a heavy diet of squid, eels, shrimp and other fish. Obviously this presents issues with farmed salmon, and we're starting to see issues with declining populations of wild salmon due to human consumption. If sustainable is your jam, the salmon probably is not the way to get there.

Just sayin'.

ponycyndi

My hubby and I are not big fish eaters, and I'm not a fan of salmon either.

We like pollock.. .it's 100cal for 4oz, and is about $3/lb here, only a dollar more per lb than chicken.

Alluminati

Pacific islander here. We grew up in the islands eating the moderate to high mercury fish on the list above and I don't know of anyone having issues with mercury. I'm still puzzled by all the scaremongering surrounding mercury, to be honest. My people have been living on fish since the beginning of time in the Pacific (we have no freshwater fish at all). Does anyone have any credible studies regarding the danger of eating fish all the time?

Also, tilapia is disgusting.

blossomingbutterfly

Thank you everyone.

Just out of curiosity, what happens if you eat more then 2-3 times a week of the low mercury ones? I'm trying to figure out if it's okay or not.

I have noticed depending on the time of year and what's on sale, certain fish are cheaper than trying to buy chicken or turkey or beef, etc...

oxers

extremelygrumpycat wrote: »

Thank you everyone.

Just out of curiosity, what happens if you eat more then 2-3 times a week of the low mercury ones? I'm trying to figure out if it's okay or not.

I have noticed depending on the time of year and what's on sale, certain fish are cheaper than trying to buy chicken or turkey or beef, etc...

To be perfectly honest with you? I have absolutely no idea when all this nonsense comes from. Mercury poisoning can be a concern for a child's developing nervous system, so pregnant women and young children are encouraged to avoid fish high in the stuff, but... that's about it. I eat a ridiculous amount of fish. It's my go-to protein, and I have 3-4 servings a week, usually. If you're trying to get pregnant, maybe knock it off, because methylmercury can build up in your blood stream and possibly damage your developing child, but for me, personally? I don't want kids for at least eight years, if ever, so.. I really don't worry about it.

I've done the research, and the science just does not back up the amount of hysteria surrounding it. I'd say buy your fish, enjoy your magical low-cal protein rich in essential fatty acids, and don't stress about it.

myrtille87

Just buy what you enjoy and what is easily available.

Scallops are delicious but expensive so I don't have them often.

Cod is a really good source of protein but I agree it can be boring.

I sometimes do it in a delicious and healthy fish tagine - marinate the fish in a chermoula marinade (crushed garlic, chilli, coriander, olive oil, salt, cumin, lemon juice), sauté some celery and carrot and onion, add a can of tomatoes, some preserved lemon, fish stock, and a glass of white wine, then simmer for a bit. Then stir in the fish and let it cook for a few minutes with minimal stirring to cook through (it doesn't take long to cook), then add more fresh coriander and mint.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2448/lemon-herb-and-parmesan-crusted-fish This recipe also works well with cod or haddock.

Salmon is tastier, you don't have to do anything fancy with it to make a nice meal - I bake it with a splash of lemon and a sprinkling of dill and serve with new potatoes and green veg.

Mackerel is good for you (omega 3s) though higher in fat/calories, and it's tasty. This is an easy recipe to spice it up a bit: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fish-recipes/crispy-skinned-mackerel-with-asian-inspired-dressing/

ACanadian22

Baked Haddock.....yummmmmmmm
I would argue the point of scallops being expensive as there are no bones or any waste. A lot of fish we buy is bones and juices. My husband is a fisherman and he sells scallops around $10 a pound but pure meat as said, where as lobster is $4.00 and it is mostly waste. You are paying for shell and water. Lobster is extremely healthy though.

bumdo

Makes a big difference where you buy your fish from, some supermarkets can be quite epensive you buy just one slice at a time.. I myself like salmon a lot so I usually buy at least 700 grams at a time and usually get it quite cheap straight from fish shops.

Hearts_2015

extremelygrumpycat wrote: »

Thank you everyone.

Just out of curiosity, what happens if you eat more then 2-3 times a week of the low mercury ones? I'm trying to figure out if it's okay or not.

I have noticed depending on the time of year and what's on sale, certain fish are cheaper than trying to buy chicken or turkey or beef, etc...

Happened upon a great article in "Consumer Reports" magazine Oct. 2014 so it's just out. If nothing else you can find it at the library and the website might share some of the article with you.

I never really gave much thought to mercury, I figured, ahhh it's just something else to have to worry about... I already worry soy etc. Well once I read how big a deal mercury can be for women of child bearing years, children and older ppl it really hit home. Mercury can kill brain cells among other things. Someone shared a nice list of low-high mercury fish up above.

That list can change at any moment. Fish from China or any other country doesn't have to show mercury content like the US. Plus businesses polluting vary from day to day into the waters so again that will make the mercury count much different.

Farm raised vs. Wild for some fish is better for us, some farm raised vs. wild is healthier. I can't emphasis enough on how helpful that article is on explaining which fish to lean toward.

It even went so far as to give the ounces for men and women per week rather than just say 3-4 a week. 36 ounces for women, now that's a A LOT of fish and I do eat a lot. But I also love White Albacore No sodium Tuna from Trader Joe's which I see canned tuna of any variety now is not good for us even the canned light.

Well I've written a book but I take this serious now... at 20 I'd have probably laughed it off. As we get older, well I value my brain cells more!

They also mentioned that there really is no healthy amount for pregnant women as they should not be eating seafood at all because it can damage the early development of the baby. Same with children, not a good idea.

Bummer too, not much healthy food out there left and here I though Salmon was my savior!

Hearts_2015

I think for some of you to say 'it's not harmed me'...well how would you know? LOL It kills off brain cells so unless you're keeping a count it's not something you can track unless you're in a cognitive study group. Sure soy is healthy so says everyone until they find out it's not for everyone, it's very risky for ppl with certain genes. Threads like this get interesting. I'm not slamming anyone, really, I just found it humorous for a moment reading over all our responses and how much they vary.

annette_15

Meh, if I want fish, I eat the fish i want... I dont overthink it

oxers

Hearts_2015 wrote: »

I think for some of you to say 'it's not harmed me'...well how would you know? LOL It kills off brain cells so unless you're keeping a count it's not something you can track unless you're in a cognitive study group. Sure soy is healthy so says everyone until they find out it's not for everyone, it's very risky for ppl with certain genes. Threads like this get interesting. I'm not slamming anyone, really, I just found it humorous for a moment reading over all our responses and how much they vary.

My argument is less "it hasn't harmed me" and more "the research does not support any immediate concern for risk or damage to me personally as I am not in the demographic that may experience the effects of methylmercury on a developing nervous system." I don't really base my decisions on anecdotal evidence. If I did, I'd be trying Atkins and chugging down SlimFast.

mitch16

I do like tuna steaks and swordfish, but only eat sparingly due to mercury. Haddock, pollock, and cod are all pretty mild. I never used to like salmon but can tolerate it now.

I would avoid farmed fish--in general they are raised in crowded ponds and are fed things that you don't even want to know about. Definitely avoid tilapia that's farmed in China (don't ask how I know, but take my word for it when I say that their diet is amongst the most disgusting ever). Try to buy fish that is domestic to Canada or the US as much as possible.