Is it true that tilapia has no nutritional value?

Lounmoun

You can look up the nutritional information and see that tilapia has nutrients.
https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/4731?n1={Qv=1}&fgcd=&man=&lfacet=&count=&max=50&sort=default&qlookup=Tilapia&offset=&format=Full&new=&measureby=&Qv=1&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing=

If your tilapia is tasty or the best fish is a different question. That does not make it devoid of nutrients.

Sunnybrooke99

It’s worth it for the b vitamins alone.

mburgess458

I don't eat tilapia because I like other fish better and I have read time and time again that it isn't the best fish choice. It is much lower in omega 3 fats and higher in omega 6 fats (at least the much more common farm raised tilapia). We get plenty of omega 6 fats from other sources, omega 3 fats are the main reason to eat fish over chicken or other animal protein sources.

My take is that tilapia is essentially the same as eating chicken. If you like tilapia better than chicken go for it.

collectingblues

I mean, there's nothing wrong with tilapia. It's a boring fish source, but it's not nutritionally void. Very few things are (I side eye cotton candy and protein powder, but even pure carbs and pure protein sources have their place).

Frankly, I'd rather eat a piece of salmon or tuna, but tilapia is perfectly fine.

Dnarules

Francl27 wrote: »

mph323 wrote: »

maryannprt wrote: »

mph323 wrote: »

imanibelle wrote: »

My dad says if I'm interested in improving my health I shouldn't be eating tilapia. He said, "It has no nutritional value." Is that true?

That's...weird. Did he ever say why just tilapia in particular as opposed to all fish?

Most of the tilapia we eat is farm raised and there has been some question about farming practices and how healthy is fish raised in crowded conditions with routine antibiotic use, (mostly in China) much the same arguments people make about meat or poultry and farming practices for that. I've never heard that tilapia has no nutritional value, but that it's actively bad for you. I'm not saying I agree with that, only that I've heard those arguments. Do you spend extra for organic or cage free eggs, free range chicken, grass fed beef? You might consider the source of your fish, as well.

When I want a lecture on what to eat I'll ask. The topic is the nutritional content of tilapia, which was posted above and is not anything close to zero.

Actually, it was very much on topic, as it's pretty much what you hear about tilapia nowadays and OP's father might have misunderstood and figured that the fish having no nutritional value.

Yep. I think what I've read is that eating farmed tilapia is no better for you nutritionally than eating a hamburger. Something about the fat profiles. I haven't researched this because I eat a lot of hamburgers and obviously don't care . But they didn't say they were nutritionally void. I can see why there may have been some confusion.

clicketykeys

jgnatca wrote: »

I am NOT a fish person but the one time I tried it I found it tasteless and tough. I’ll take halibut or cod first.

Nevertheless, no matter the taste, it’s a great source for protein.

Halibut is delicious but RIDICULOUSLY expensive. A lot of places don't even carry it. Cod is more reasonable, but still up to twice as much as tilapia.

timtam163

OP: It just sounds like a bizarre way for your dad to talk to you about nutrition, putting down everything you eat and not offer any constructive advice. I mean do you eat fruits and veggies? Maybe he's concerned you're not getting enough variety. But that's different than being concerned that you're eating a perfectly nutritious fish...

BusyRaeNOTBusty

It doesn't have as much omega-2s as Salmon or tuna, but it's still a low calorie protein source. And it's a lot cheaper than salmon.

A 3.5-ounce serving of tilapia has a scant 0.13 grams of the long-chain omega-3 fats that fish are famous for. Although that puts it on a par with other lean seafood (catfish has 0.09 grams; shrimp, 0.06), it’s a long way from canned tuna (0.88) and sardines (at 0.98), and not even in the same ballpark as the omega-3 powerhouse that is salmon (at 2.36).

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

https://washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/tilapia-has-a-terrible-reputation-does-it-deserve-it/2016/10/24/4537dc96-96e6-11e6-bc79-af1cd3d2984b_story.html?utm_term=.f4299897df57