How Do You Get Those Good Fatty Acids? By Eating Fish!
Every child in school has been learning a brand new USDA “Food Pyramid”. The research that goes into finding out how best to feed our bodies is used to change our notions about nutrition. We know more now than we ever did before about the different categories of food and how, within each category, there are foods that offer specific nutritional qualities separate and distinct from the other foods in the very same category.
One food item that sometimes gets hidden behind the meat or protein segment of the Food Pyramid is fish. We now know that fish was not added to the meat segment of the pyramid as an alternative to meat or poultry, but rather fish plays a very important part of a well-rounded, nutritionally balanced diet.
You may be thinking that protein is protein is protein. What’s the difference whether I get my protein from meat, chicken, or fish? What does fish offer that the other proteins do not? Is it going to affect my health if I just eat meat and poultry as my protein source?
Here’s where we get into trouble with our diet. If we are eating only meat and poultry as our source of protein, we are missing out on those very important “good fats” that are essential for heart health. A diet of meat and poultry alone will not provide the necessary heart-healthy fatty acids that you need.
The technical terms for these “good fats” are MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids) and PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids). These fatty acids cannot be created in your body by any other fats that you eat. You’ve probably also seen the term “omega3-fatty acids”. Believed to reduce the risk of death caused by cardiovascular disease, you’ll find especially high concentrations of these fatty acids in salmon, trout, and herring.
If you have not served your family a lot of fish in the past, it’s never too late to start. Depending on where you live, you should be able to find either fresh or frozen readily available in your grocery store. Watch the sales and fill your grocery cart with a variety of fish. Then, look through some recipes and pick a few simple ones to try.
You may want to start with some old-time favorites like Quick and Easy Tuna Casserole. A simple Pan Fried Fish may be just the meal for a family game or movie night. Sunday dinner would be a good time for a big Oven Fish Dinner. Of course, my all time favorite is the classic and simple Fish Chowder. I would try out some fancy Salmon Patties at the ladies’ luncheon, or even when my mother-in-law comes for dinner.
Start serving fish each week by trying a few simple recipes and you may discover that you and your family enjoy having a little more variety at meal time. Make notes about which types of dishes your family enjoyed, and which ones were not so much of a hit, and soon you’ll be collecting your very own favorite fish recipes.
