The Healthiest Fish in the World
By Sara Butler
If you want your diet to be healthy and varied, then you should eat fish twice per week. But not just any fish will do. There are some fish that will give you more bang for your nutritional buck than others and those are the ones you probably want to focus on making a part of your meal planning. Here are a few different fish you should make sure to add to your diet because they're healthy and sustainable; there;s also a few you might want to avoid.
Atlantic Mackerel
This is a species of fish that grow very fast, which means that fishing them doesn't deplete their population for long. This fish is also very high in omega-3 fatty acids that are great for your heart as well as high in protein.
Wild-Caught Sardines From the Pacific
Sardines may not even be on your radar, but they're a great fish to add to your diet. Inexpensive and easy to find, they have more omega-3 fatty acids in them per ounce than tuna or salmon. They're also high in Vitamin D. Pacific sardines reproduce quickly too, which helps them from being overfished and damaging the ecosystem along the way.
Wild-Caught Alaskan Salmon
The king of all healthy fish, Alaskan salmon is full of omega-3 fatty acids and also don't have as many contaminants in them as salmon that may be fished or farmed from other places in the world. Because they're born and raised in waters that are so high-quality, you don't have to worry as much about the mercury content as you do with other salmon. So go ahead, enjoy it -- even canned Alaskan salmon is great for you.
A Few Fish to Avoid
Of course, it's not all mackerels and rainbows when it comes to fish that's good for your health (and the environment). Here are a few fish you may want to consider taking off your menu:
- Orange roughy - These fish live long lives unless they end up on your plate. That means they're often higher in mercury because they've been exposed to it for many years. Plus, they're slow to reproduce, so fishing them hurts their populations.
- Wild Atlantic Halibut - Another slow-growing fish that can live up to 50 years, halibut can also be high in contaminants. If you want to have halibut, then opt for Pacific halibut instead.
- Atlantic salmon - These salmon are raised on farms that pack them in pens together tightly. They often have to be given antibiotics due to these conditions, so it's best to avoid them.
Enjoy fish because it's good for you, but make sure you're enjoying fish that is the best for you.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Katy, Tex.