Tuna

frootcat
frootcat Posts: 194 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I never used to be much of a tuna fan, but in trying to make healthier choices I have discovered that its low calories and high protein is pretty appealing. I was happily eating a can or two a week and then... I searched the internet. Sigh.

So evidently due to mercury levels, adults should not consume tuna more than three times a month. On top of that, there are environmental concerns regarding major tuna distributors. I looked into pole-caught canned tuna and it is well beyond my means to eat on a regular basis. If I'm going to spend that much, I want a nice grass-fed chunk o' beef!

I guess my question is, how much tuna do you guys eat? What are your opinions on the various pros/cons of tuna? What are some alternatives (that are not sardines, because sardines are yucky)?

Thanks :)

Replies

  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    I have environmental and health concerns regarding tuna. I buy canned boneless/skinless salmon (the Trader Joe's brand) and even my salmon-hating husband thinks it tastes just like tuna when made into tuna salad (mayo, celery, etc.). I have found the Trader Joe's brand to be the most mild tasting and it is better nutritionally than tuna, albeit more expensive. A bonus is canned salmon is almost always wild caught. Just make sure you get the boneless skinless kind!
  • sharonloraine
    sharonloraine Posts: 69 Member
    oops....i have been eating 3 to 4 times a weeks twice a day......not so much because of low cal but I like it....
  • DeniseB0711
    DeniseB0711 Posts: 294 Member
    I eat canned tuna like once a week if I have it, mainly because of the Mercury concern.

    Denise
  • westdove
    westdove Posts: 174
    I dont eat it very often at all, simply because it has wayyyyy to much sodium.
  • AnnaMaus
    AnnaMaus Posts: 167 Member
    In addition to all the other cons noted, what do you do about the terrible taste?
  • jayjrf
    jayjrf Posts: 25
    I eat the small fish. Hake is good. Take a look around the internet to see which ones are on the market.

    The smaller the fish, the lower the merc level.

    Big fish like tuna and shark have a lot of merc build up because they eat a lot of the smaller fish and live longer.
  • Gunnarbear
    Gunnarbear Posts: 186
    oops....i have been eating 3 to 4 times a weeks twice a day......not so much because of low cal but I like it....


    Me too... Maybe thats the reason for the glow in the dark problem.
  • Morior87
    Morior87 Posts: 14
    In regards to mercury poisoning from eating tuna, several factors come into consideration:

    1) How well the individual can tolerate/dispose/excrete the mercury
    2) Whether or not the person in question is female and pregnant, or planning on becoming pregnant within the next year (As it can take as long as a year to filter doses of mercury out of your system, which in turn could harm the fetus.
    3) How much tuna you are actually planning on eating on a daily basis, its actually stupidly high amounts you'd have to eat before any real damage could be caused.

    In the case of Jeremy Piven which if I hear about one more time I will actually scream, but I mention because someone else will undoubtedly bring it up. He was eating high mercury containing fish every day like a regular person would eat meat, fish and poultry combined. Also he reached about 20-30x the apparent "toxic" level of mercury poisoning before any real harm came of it.

    Overall, having a few tins of tuna here and there isnt going to do any harm. But try to get your Omega 3 and protein elsewhere if trying to get pregnant or if you are pregnant and tend to worry about these things.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    I've eaten it every day for weeks at a time. Everyone will have a different level of tolerance, but I also think that potential mercury poisoning is something food health organisations would keep an eye on. I very much doubt you could give yourself mercury poisoning through 'normal' consumption.

    I do find it boring as hell though, hence it's dissappearance from my diary lately.
  • mybiketrip
    mybiketrip Posts: 239
    While I was biking across the country last sumer I would be eating 2 cans of tuna per day (along with a boatload of calories). My body was able to detox just fine. I wouldn't worry.
  • frootcat
    frootcat Posts: 194 Member
    Thank you all for your responses. :) I'm not sure why it concerns me all that much-- there are plenty of other things that I do above or below the recommended level and I don't lose any sleep over it. The environmental angle still troubles me, but that's something I'll just have to figure out on my own.
    In the case of Jeremy Piven which if I hear about one more time I will actually scream [...]
    Haha, ironically, while I was googling tuna earlier today I did not come across this story!

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