Tilapia

theron12
theron12 Posts: 60 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Is eating tilapia bad for you? Explain. Thanks!

Replies

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    It's probably not the "cleanest" fish. Farm raised; when in China.....it's not the best diet, very little omega 3....but cheap to produce. Horror stories? Depends upon where it comes from & who you ask.

    http://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/food/food-safety/article/truth-about-tilapia
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    I know a lot of people say tilapia is garbage fish. I recently read an article (unfortunately I can't remember where, sorry) about what to look for when buying fish that said tilapia farmed in the US is safe and sustainable, but that a lot of the tilapia sold in the US is farmed in Asia in disgusting conditions, so you should avoid it unless it specifically says it was farmed in the US.

    Tilapia is a maybe fish for me. I tend to stick to wild caught salmon, US sourced cod and shrimp, and chunk light (skipjack) tuna and salmon in the can. Just from reading stuff over the years honestly, but I have it in my head they are lower mercury and more sustainable.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,647 Member
    edited July 2017
    It's not bad for you. I don't eat it, but it's because I don't like the flavor. I'm not concerned with how it's raised on chicken poop or whatever. Makes no difference to me.

    ETA That article didn't say anything about chicken poop, so maybe that's just something my dad made up. Idc.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,417 Member
    Here in Australia it's a pest and if you catch it, you're not allowed to throw it back in the water. Fishermen just leave it to die on the bank, because there's no market for it and no one wants to eat it.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Nope, not bad for you.

    "Tilapia, in short, is an environmentally friendly, lean, low-calorie source of protein. We need all of those we can get."

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/tilapia-has-a-terrible-reputation-does-it-deserve-it/2016/10/24/4537dc96-96e6-11e6-bc79-af1cd3d2984b_story.html
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    Here in Australia it's a pest and if you catch it, you're not allowed to throw it back in the water. Fishermen just leave it to die on the bank, because there's no market for it and no one wants to eat it.

    I didn't even know it was a fish down here! Haha. Our supermarket has basa, I thought that was like our tilapia equivalent... I won't buy or eat that either!
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,417 Member
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    Here in Australia it's a pest and if you catch it, you're not allowed to throw it back in the water. Fishermen just leave it to die on the bank, because there's no market for it and no one wants to eat it.

    I didn't even know it was a fish down here! Haha. Our supermarket has basa, I thought that was like our tilapia equivalent... I won't buy or eat that either!

    Yeah, mostly in the Qld mangroves. They were introduced illegally and have been spawning ever since. They're like carp - bottom feeders that muddy up the water, ruin the habitat of native fish and takes like mud.
  • rmgnow
    rmgnow Posts: 375 Member
    All fish is good for you. Fish oil is good for you. I say munch on!
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    Don't know about other countries but the tilapia sold in the US is almost entirely farmed.

    I buy mine in bulk fast frozen packages from Costco and other stores.

    It has always been a clean & firm fish that can be cooked in many different ways and tastes fine however I prepare it.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,417 Member
    awells5187 wrote: »
    I recently heard it was, almost as bad as a cheeseburger. Not sure how much truth there is to it, but salmon is supposed to be the top choice.

    In what way?
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    rmgnow wrote: »
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    awells5187 wrote: »
    I recently heard it was, almost as bad as a cheeseburger. Not sure how much truth there is to it, but salmon is supposed to be the top choice.

    In what way?

    The question is, are cheeseburgers bad?
    Cheeseburgers are delicious.
    And so is Tilapia

    You need to eat some good fish.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,417 Member
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    Don't know about other countries but the tilapia sold in the US is almost entirely farmed.

    I buy mine in bulk fast frozen packages from Costco and other stores.

    It has always been a clean & firm fish that can be cooked in many different ways and tastes fine however I prepare it.

    That would explain why it's edible over there compared to here.
  • Emily3907
    Emily3907 Posts: 1,445 Member
    I used to eat tilapia before I really paid attention to my food, but after doing some reading, had a harder time eating it. I have switched to halibut, pacific cod or haddock, but I am careful about checking the package/source.

    We are not big fish eaters (DH doesn't like seafood), so I am willing to spend a little more for a better quality fish because it is a rare thing in my house.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    The tilapia tolerates filthy water. I'm not worried about that. I guess it comes from a lifelong love of another bottom-feeder, the catfish.
  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,342 Member
    Can't speak about the other stuff but Tilapia is a low mercury fish which is a plus if you like it.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    My coach eats a lot of tilapia and he seems fine...I'm not big on farmed fish in general and prefer wild caught cod or Alaskan Salmon...
  • JeepHair77
    JeepHair77 Posts: 1,291 Member
    *shrug* We eat it sometimes. It's not my favorite but it's a mild-flavored fish and appropriate for some recipes.
  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,342 Member
    In the grand scheme I am sure we have all eaten some pretty nasty stuff at some point without even knowing it, that's just living. Hell I accidently ate my friends spit one time when I didn't realize she had spit(she had a bad habit of it) in a bag of trail mix that just had a little left in it..........WORST DAY!! It still skeezes me out and I dry heave. haha
  • OhMsDiva
    OhMsDiva Posts: 1,073 Member
    I was raised eating catfish, which I have heard is also a bottom feeder. I have not researched any of it so I pretend to be ignorant, but what turns me off is when I go to the store and the package of "fresh" fish says it is from China or Vietnam or some distant country. I just cannot make myself buy it after that.
  • DamieBird
    DamieBird Posts: 651 Member
    I won't buy/eat tilapia. I'm not particularly picky about grass fed beef and free range chicken (I'll buy it if I can find it for an affordable price, but it's not a deal breaker), but I will not eat fish that isn't wild caught. Farmed fish/shrimp just grosses me out, and there are no wild caught tilapia in US stores that I've seen.
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