Using Fish as Part of a Healthy Eating Plan
It is hard to beat fish and seafood for high protein and low fat. Fish has been shown in study after study to have a positive impact on health, and to lower the risk of heart disease and other diseases. In addition, fish is delicious and easy to prepare.
Many nutrition experts recommend eating fish at least once or twice every week. The most nutritious varieties of fish, and those that contain the greatest amounts of heart protecting omega-3 fatty acids, tend to be those that live in cold ocean waters. These varieties of fish include salmon and sardines.
The benefits of a fishy diet
Fish has long been thought to have a positive benefit on the heart. So far the results of clinical studies have been inconclusive, but research into the heart healthy effects of fish continues. No matter what the benefits, there is little doubt that fish is a healthy food, containing significant levels of protein and smaller amounts of fat and calories than other types of meat.
As a matter of fact, fish is one of the best sources of protein there is. Everyone needs protein for building muscles and repairing damaged body tissues. In addition, protein plays a vital role in the growth of nails and hair, in hormone production and in many other vital bodily processes.
In addition to fish, many other animal based products, such as meat, eggs, poultry and dairy products, contain significant amounts of protein. Plant based sources of protein exist as well, in nuts, beans and lentils, among others.
The key to getting sufficient protein in the diet is to balance the healthy effects of protein on the diet against the large amounts of fat and cholesterol that protein rich foods often contain. The combination of high protein and low fat is one of the things that makes a diet rich in fish so appealing.
With the exception of salmon, almost all commonly eaten varieties of fish are very low in fat, and even salmon contains lower levels of fat than many varieties of meats. In addition, fish is low in saturated fat, the type of fat that is most associated with heart disease and clogged arteries.
Fish is low in unsaturated fat because of the nature of where and how they live. Instead of storing energy in the form of saturated fat as land animals do, fish store their fat in the form of polyunsaturated oils. That adaptation allows their bodies to function normally in the cool oceans and streams where they swim. It also makes them a great choice for anyone seeking to cut levels of saturated fat in the diet.
For all these reasons, fish remains an important part of any low fat, heart healthy lifestyle. Substituting high fat, greasy foods like hamburgers and ribs is a great way to make a change for healthy living.
One note about fish and pollution, however. It is true that many fish caught in polluted waters contain high levels of mercury. While most commercially caught and grown fish is low in mercury, it is important for fisherman to limit their consumption of locally caught fish. Pregnant women are also advised to limit their intake of fish, due to the potential harm to the baby.
Fitting fish into your busy lifestyle
Many people avoid fish because they do not know how to prepare and cook it. While it is true that fish can present more of a challenge for the inexperienced, there are many recipes and cookbooks that make preparation easier. In addition, many packaged seafood products contain cooking tips and serving suggestions that take some of the mystery out of preparing a nutritious and delicious meal of fresh fish.
Even those who do not cook, however, can enjoy the many benefits of fish in the diet. There are a number of canned seafood products on the market, including canned salmon, sardines and the ever popular tuna. So there is no reason fish cannot fit into your healthy eating plan.
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nice plan i will try to use it. thanks
Fish is my favorite, good info on fish and its nutrition, but with your permission, I would like to add something, fish is also the most tasty dish if you cook it right. I would eat fish all day .. if you let me
Thanks
Ren
I love fresh fish and agree that it is a truly healthy way to eat.
Fish is a wonderful meal, full of protein and healthy fats. Such a great meal! I have it every day for lunch.
Interesting article, something to refer to.
We should always watch out not to eat too much fish though, since the Mercury scare.
As a student I used to eat a LOT of tinned tuna. It was quick, simple and cheap.
Unfortunately I found out a few weeks ago that most fish is quite high in mercury levels and eating too much can cause dangerous levels to accumulate in your blood.
Alas - I rarely eat fish anymore. I miss it.
Great post, I couldn’t agree more about the benefits of eating fish. I add flaxseed oil to my daily vegetable shake, because it can be hard to get fish all the time. Thank you for the article.
Great post. I agree that fish can be an important source of protein, but there’s also the added value of fish oil. Fish oil has been shown to reduce inflamation, and bad cholesterol, and body fat while improving skin tone, and a boatload of other health benefits. Some people don’t like to eat fish, but they can still benefit from consuming fish oil capsules.
If you dont eat fish what else can you take as a supplement?
Fish is a great source of protein, you can take protein supplements Beth but fish is better for you
Why wouldt you just try bison meat instead of fish. Bison meat has as low fat as fish. Ofcourse the bison must be fed by grass…
Great article. I think bodybuilders and fitness guru’s ignore fish a bit too much. Sure they all know it’s good for them but the bottom line is…a lot of people simply don’t like the way fish tastes. But you can look at cultures that consume more fish, you can clearly see a benefit in many areas of health.
Thanks for the information Brianna.
Personally i’m not to keen on the taste of fish..
Can you give me an alternative to fish? Maybe a supplement that has all the benefits without the taste
Hey that’s awesome. I love fish. It’s awesome for both gaining weight and for when you’re trying to get rid of fat. I would recommend steaming your fish to make it healthier. Another recommendation is low sodium canned tuna for those who want a quick meal. The salted cans of tuna are very high in sodium so be careful. Canned tuna has much less fat than canned salmon but some can’t take the dryness and the flavour.
I know I should eat fish, I’m actually quite a keen fisherman, but I just can’t stand the stuff.
About the only kind of fish I can eat is whiting, grilled on a barbecue, with lemon juice sprinkled on it.
I like fish, I can eat it everyday
I stayed away from fish for a long time until I became more health conscious. I have to say I have no idea how I stayed away from fish for so long because there’s nothing more that I enjoy than a nice grilled salmon or talapia with some red potatoes and broccoli. And there really isn’t any problem cooking fish, so if you never have just bring a skillet to medium heat, add some olive oil, thaw your preferred fish and flavor with your choice of seasoning, throw it in the skillet, cover and within 5-7 min you’ll be ready to enjoy a nice meal.
I absolutely agree. There is a lot of nutrition as well as healthy fats in fish that poultry and red meat simply cannot provide.
I had an intense catfish diet in the early stages of my weight loss plan. You aren’t lying, fish works. And I noticed some muscle mass gain, as well. The important thing to note, however, is that simply eating fish and staying away from foods high in fat will not be the key to weight loss, or any other diet for that matter. It’s simply a supplement to whatever you’re doing towards your goals. Am I right?
Omega 3 fatty acids are such an awesome part of the diet and contain incredible healthy side effects. Good article.
Fish is an excellent source of protein and other nutrients, especially if it is baked or steamed. However, it is not possible for many of us to regularly include fish in our diets. Fish oil supplements can ensure we get a consistently regular dose of omega 3s in our diet. Supplements work just as well for heart health. In fact, the American Heart Association actually recommends omega 3 supplements to support heart health. We should take care to use supplements made from pharmaceutical grade fish oil, like Triple Strength Omega 3, which is the purest form.
Nice post..totally agree with you Brianna!
In practice, eating more fish helps you eat fewer calories.
It’s easier on your digestion.
It’s good for your heart.
It also helps you eat less ‘bad’ fat.
It helps you swim better.
Fish is my favorite Dish when it is prepared roasted with potato chips. It has good amount of vitamin e and its oil is best for the brain.
Fish is just marvelous for so many reasons, they even say that a regular diet of fish when growing up can enhance the mental capacity of learning.
Fish is a helpful food for a few reasons:
It has high moisture content,
Contains protien
it also contains essential poly and mono unsaturated fats that are absolutely necessary to losing weight.
To see the relative moisture content of meats and foods in general you can go to:
http://www.natural-weight-loss-myths-revealed.com/moisture-index.html
But if you can go without animal products and go completely raw with high moisture foods with 80% - 100% water content, you will lose weight very fast.
Yeah, fish is great ! I try to eat it an last once a week. There are so much tasty ways to cook it.
Fish is a great source of protein. And there’s nothing wrong with a little mercury.
I love fish. I can eat it every day. Wih those informations it even tastes better.
Wow this is an incredible post. Thanks for the detail. People tend to over look the importance of having enough fish in their diet. I highly recommend that anyone looking to be healthier make fish a bigger part of their diet.
I agree that fish diet can help anyone to become healthy. Steamed fish for me is a very good food when you are on diet.
I did nto know canned fish is also good for my diet
thank you.
I do agree with the idea of having fish as part of a healthy diet plan. the fact that fish is the most healthy kind of meat to eat is an evidence that fish should always be integrated into our daily diet.
Someway, somehow, fish is great for losing weights and keeping blood pressure low.
Today most people are to accept as a fact that “to be healthy” a well-balanced diet is required. They want what’s best for their live. Healthy foods are an important issue because healthy eating is important to good health.
You are right fish is underused in most diets. I used it as pat of my own weight loss to reuce the fatty meat I was eating. Good post and a greta site. I will return
I have moved to fish pretty heavily in the last few weeks, its quick to cook, there are several ways to cook it, there are many things you can add to the flavor, and it is reasonably priced, an of course its good for you
I believe fish is healthier than meat and you are right almost all fishes are low in fat.
This is because fish is low in fat, high in protein and an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids. Eating fish regularly – one or two serves weekly – may reduce the risk of diseases ranging from childhood asthma to prostate cancer. Healthy ways to enjoy fish include baked, poached, grilled and steamed.
Eating more small fish can even prevent hard problems. Its having good fat which help our heart muscles to get better.
..fish is a very good source of protein, so even theres no meat, you can still be nourished because of fish. nice post!
I will learn to love fish even though at my place there a lot of fish. At this moment I still love chicken.
Great post.
Fish is an often overlooked component of a healthy and natural diet. If you don’t eat fish regularly, at least you should use some supplemental fish oil.
I eat fish three times a week. I love it. Everyone should try to get more fish in their diet.