Seafood Week

WLR dietitian Juliette Kellow reports on this year's Seafood Week which aims to encourage people to eat two portions of seafood a week due to the health benefits of eating fish.

Seafood... and Eat It   By WLR Dietitian Juliette Kellow BSc RD

This year the theme for Seafood Week, which runs from 6-13 October, is ‘2 a week.’ The aim is to encourage everyone to eat 2 servings of fish each week, as recommended by the Food Standards Agency.

Currently, only one in five of us manage this, despite the wide variety of nutrients that fish provides.

In particular, fish is a great choice for slimmers as it’s packed with protein, which helps to keep us fuller for longer, plus a variety of vitamins and minerals. And even though oil-rich fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel and fresh tuna is higher in fat and therefore calories, slimmers, like everyone else, should still eat it at least once a week to gain all the health benefits of its omega-3 fats.

The ‘2 a week’ campaign is backed by celeb chef James Martin who says eating fish played an important part in his training and healthy eating regime for BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing.

He reveals, “Seafood is one of the most delicious and healthy foods around. It’s a great source of protein, vitamins and minerals and is incredibly low in fat. I always eat two portions of seafood a week. I try to make at least one an oil-rich fish such as sardines or herring because they are rich in omega-3 which is important for heart health.”

WLR says:

Many slimmers avoid oil-rich fish because they’re worried about the calories, but a 150g fresh tuna steak, for example, contains just 200 calories. That’s less than a steak!

Many people are also unsure how to prepare or cook fish or worry about the freshness of fish. Look in recipe books, surf the internet or pick up leaflets from your local supermarket for new recipe ideas. In the meantime, follow these tips from Seafish for buying fish:

• Whole, fresh fish will have eyes that are bright and not sunken. The skins should have a shiny, moist, firm appearance. You should also notice a pleasant sea-fresh aroma if the fish is really fresh.
   
• When buying fillets look for neat, trim fillets and a white translucent appearance.
   
• Smoked fish should look glossy with a fresh, smoky aroma.
   
• When selecting shellfish, choose shells that are tightly closed, without any gaps or cracks.
   
• When buying frozen seafood, check the fish is frozen solid with no sign of partial thawing. Make sure that packaging is undamaged and there is no sign of freezer burn.

Seafood calorie counter

Use this chart to check out the calorie content of your favourite fish

For more information and recipes for fish, visit www.seafish.org.uk

Click here for free trial