Salmon-Wild vs. Farmed?

jbwegner
jbwegner Posts: 254 Member
edited September 21 in Food and Nutrition
I keep hearing you should eat wild instead of farmed. Why? I think it has something to do with the fats? How is that possible?
I bought wild last time and did not like the way it tasted nearly as much. Is it really significantly better for you nutrion wise?
Thanks for any help you can give!

Replies

  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
    Farmed salmon are fed grains so they are significantly lacking in Omega 3s (just like any other farmed meats that aren't "grass-fed"). So, folks always exclaim salmon is great for Omega 3s but the reality is only wild-caught salmon are good for supplementing your Omega 3s. So yes, wild caught salmon is better for you.

    Edit: Just like grass fed beef is better for you. Does that mean I buy grass fed beef? No, I can't afford it.
    You can always supplement your Omega 3s some other way (fish oil supps or flax seed for example) so if you like the taste of farmed salmon, go for it.
  • LisaKC
    LisaKC Posts: 328 Member
    Some farmed salmon are fed special food to give them that lovely pink color. I prefer for nature to "dye" my salmon. I also happen to think wild salmon tastes better, but that's a matter of personal preference. As for how farming affects the actual nutrient content, I can't comment on that.
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
    Farmed salmon are fed grains so they are significantly lacking in Omega 3s (just like any other farmed meats that aren't "grass-fed"). So, folks always exclaim salmon is great for Omega 3s but the reality is only wild-caught salmon are good for supplementing your Omega 3s. So yes, wild caught salmon are better for you.

    What she said! :happy: And, as mentioned, the same goes for beef. Beef isn't typically touted for its "healthy fat" but that is because the majority of it is much fattier than it should be because the animals are fed a diet that causes them to gain weight very quickly (corn!). Cattle left to eat what they have evolved to eat (grass) will be lower in fat but that fat will be higher in omega-3s.
  • swopeswick
    swopeswick Posts: 43 Member
    Believe it or not there is a huge difference in the nutritional benefits of wild versus farm-raised. The wild salmon swim in very cold water, in which to survive they rely on the builup of fat within their bodies. Farm raisd salmon are not swimming in that cold water, therefore they do not build up the fats and thus the lack of the all-important omega 3 fatty acid.

    Personally, I don't see a big difference in taste... the farm raised certainly look better in the case... they seem to be bigger and thicker and brighter orange, but I love the taste of the wild... try it with some EVOO, heavily sprinkled with dill, garlic, and black pepper (and maybe some lemon if I want that taste)... I put it on the grill on aluminum foil. When it is done, you can use a spatula and slide the meat right off the skin... it is great!

    hope this helps!
  • 00Angela00
    00Angela00 Posts: 1,077 Member
    this is from a previous post from 100 Healthiest Foods to Eat During Pregnancy:

    "We strongly prefer wild salmon over farmed salmon. A 2003 study showed that farmed salmon from the U.S. grocery stores were likely the most PCB-contaminated protein source in teh U.S> food supply. If possible, get wild salmon. "

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/101942-salmon-3rd-trimester-healthiest-foods-to-eat-during-preg
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
    Edit: Just like grass fed beef is better for you. Does that mean I buy grass fed beef? No, I can't afford it.
    You can always supplement your Omega 3s some other way (fish oil supps or flax seed for example) so if you like the taste of farmed salmon, go for it.

    Along these the same line, I totally sympathize with the pricing problem. If you're at all interested, I HIGHLY recommend checking out some farms in your area for meat shares (localharvest.org is a good place to get started). If you have the space in your freezer (and it doesn't take that much), it is definitely possible to buy packs of grass-fed beef for FAR FAR below what it costs at most grocery stores. I have found both grass-fed beef and wild-caught salmon for sale for less than most corn-fed beef and farm-raised salmon at my local grocery store. Going direct to the farmer is key, though.
  • jbwegner
    jbwegner Posts: 254 Member
    Wow! Thanks for sharing all of this great info! I never knew much of this! We will definitely switch to wild!
  • Troutman
    Troutman Posts: 28
    Since I can't afford wild salmon, I will give salmon up.
  • dawnna76
    dawnna76 Posts: 987 Member
    http://www.purezing.com/living/food_articles/living_articles_7salmon.htm

    becuase farmed salmon are fed things that fish shouldnt be eating!

    Oh and the pink color farm raised salmon are in the store is because they are fed pills to dye thier meat! a farm raised salmon is so unhealthy that its natural meat color is gray! so what you see in the store is just chemicals
  • ucaminax
    ucaminax Posts: 157 Member
    From what I understand, the main reasons wild is preferred over farmed for health reasons are pretty much what everyone else said: the omega 3's are much higer in wild, and the heavy metals in particular mercury are much higher in farmed. In addition, I have heard that salmon farming is extremely polluting, which is why many people don't reccomend that. And honestly, if it's that much of a polluting thing, I'm not sure I want to eat it anyway!
  • July24Lioness
    July24Lioness Posts: 2,399 Member
    Edit: Just like grass fed beef is better for you. Does that mean I buy grass fed beef? No, I can't afford it.
    You can always supplement your Omega 3s some other way (fish oil supps or flax seed for example) so if you like the taste of farmed salmon, go for it.

    Along these the same line, I totally sympathize with the pricing problem. If you're at all interested, I HIGHLY recommend checking out some farms in your area for meat shares (localharvest.org is a good place to get started). If you have the space in your freezer (and it doesn't take that much), it is definitely possible to buy packs of grass-fed beef for FAR FAR below what it costs at most grocery stores. I have found both grass-fed beef and wild-caught salmon for sale for less than most corn-fed beef and farm-raised salmon at my local grocery store. Going direct to the farmer is key, though.

    I was going to say the same thing as Kaitlin............

    Going to the farmer directly for chickens, pork and beef, eggs and raw dairy in the end is less expensive both health wise and $$$ wise.

    There is not much I purchase from the store at all in the past 2 months.

    I am trying to only eat what ever veggies and fruits that are in season as it is cheaper (going to farmers markets) and tastes much, much better.

    Since I live in land now, I do buy fish and seafood from a regular grocery, but I found a fish market at the Soulard Farmers Market in downtown St Louis, which is right down the street from my job. When we lived on the coast line in Virginia, we caught all the fish, crabs and seafood that we ate.
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
    Since I live in land now, I do buy fish and seafood from a regular grocery, but I found a fish market at the Soulard Farmers Market in downtown St Louis, which is right down the street from my job. When we lived on the coast line in Virginia, we caught all the fish, crabs and seafood that we ate.

    You might also be surprised at what you can find even inland! There is a guy in Minnesota who spends half of the year on a salmon fishing boat in Alaska. He freezes the fish right on the boat and sells them to people in bulk in Minnesota. It is about $12-13/lb, which is easily competitive with a lot of grocery store prices for farm-raised. Yes, it is frozen, but the taste and texture are amazing. And the color is amazingly pinkish red -- unlike anything I have ever seen on farm-raised.
  • July24Lioness
    July24Lioness Posts: 2,399 Member
    Since I live in land now, I do buy fish and seafood from a regular grocery, but I found a fish market at the Soulard Farmers Market in downtown St Louis, which is right down the street from my job. When we lived on the coast line in Virginia, we caught all the fish, crabs and seafood that we ate.

    You might also be surprised at what you can find even inland! There is a guy in Minnesota who spends half of the year on a salmon fishing boat in Alaska. He freezes the fish right on the boat and sells them to people in bulk in Minnesota. It is about $12-13/lb, which is easily competitive with a lot of grocery store prices for farm-raised. Yes, it is frozen, but the taste and texture are amazing. And the color is amazingly pinkish red -- unlike anything I have ever seen on farm-raised.

    I am going to check out the Fish Market at Soulards Farmers Market in St Louis, it is one of the oldest Farmers Markets in the U.S., dating back to 1779.

    I don't do farm raised of any fish, only beef, pork, chicken and eggs for farm raised. :laugh:
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