October's Nutrition Tip
It's National Seafood Month!
Harness the Unique Protein from Oily Ocean Fish
Everyone needs protein for growth, especially a developing baby, children, teens and pregnant women. Protein builds muscle, aids in tissue repair and helps make essential hormones and enzymes in the body. When you're expecting, your needs for lean protein increase for you and for your developing baby. Lean protein in pregnancy prevents ups and downs in metabolism, reduces risk for developing gestational diabetes and fosters the right amount of weight gain.
It's recommended that pregnant women eat three to four servings or 9-12 ounces of lean protein a day. Sources of protein include beef, eggs, nuts, beans, poultry, dairy and fish. As part of their protein intake, the Maternal Nutrition Group recommends that pregnant and nursing women eat at last 12 ounces of seafood a week. For fresh fish, this looks like four decks of cards; for canned, it’s two cans. In addition to providing lean protein, seafood like salmon, tuna, sardines and scallops are among the richest dietary sources of important long-chain omega-3s.
Putting knowledge in to action
It's National Seafood Month, the perfect time to focus on eating the recommended minimum of 12 ounces of seafood a week. Try these meal suggestions to easily meet your weekly seafood requirement:
- Top off your whole wheat pasta with 3 ounces or six large shrimp.
- Steam, grill, or broil 3 ounces of salmon and serve with your favorite grain for lunch or dinner.
- Create a seafood casserole with 3 ounces of tuna or salmon for a quick dinner.
- Prepare a tuna fish sandwich using 3 ounces of canned light tuna for lunch.
Stock up on lean, nutrient rich, oily ocean fish from your local market using these simple tips to ensure you're selecting fresh and safe fish:
- Buy only from a reputable market.
- Check the "sell by" and "use by" dates. If they aren’t listed, ask the retailer.
- Fresh fish should be bright and shiny with scales intact. The odor should be fresh and mild. Fillets should have moist elastic flesh, without browning.
If fresh fish is not readily available in your market or if you're pressed for time, frozen fish and fish sold in pouches and cans are often a less expensive but just as a good source of long-chain omega-3s as fresh seafood. When choosing canned ocean fish, select those packed in water versus oil as you'll reap more of the omega-3 benefits.
