The United States Department of Agriculture says twice a week, make seafood the protein on your plate. Increase the amount and variety of seafood consumed by choosing seafood in place of some meat and poultry.
Today is the third Friday of Lent, the 40-day (not including Sundays) period of time between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Lent is steeped in dietary traditions. Historically, people fasted for 40 days - either Monday through Friday, but not on weekends or Monday through Saturday. The definition of fasting varied. It could mean no food or drink, one meal a day, no animal products, or no animal products except fish. Now, the tradition has generally evolved to meatless Fridays, except fish.
When I first started working with the seafood community, I learned that Lent is among the busiest times of the year. This surprised me a little that one meatless day of the week among those who observe Lent would noticeably increase fish consumption. But now that I've gotten to know the media a bit, I see that news stories about seafood increase over Lent, so maybe everyone is inspired to eat a bit more fish.
Here are a few I've noticed lately...
Which Restaurant Has Best Fish Sandwich?
View Restaurant & Lounge serves up fresh fish tacos for Lent
Lent alternatives: Creativity in fish, seafood dishes
In this house, any day of the week obviously qualifies as a fish day. Here's a picture of the Honey and Soy Glazed Salmon we ate last night for "Fish Thursday." I liked it, but Lloyd thought the wild salmon was a little "gamey." The glaze packs a punch, too - it is very flavorful, so apply lightly to start.
Have a wonderful weekend!
I am a registered dietitian with the National Fisheries Institute, so fish is my nutrition forte. I earned my BA in Communication from Southwestern University, just outside of Austin, TX. During college, one of my very favorite evening outings was a leisurely trip to the grocery market. My passion for food was undeniable, so I combined both of my interests by earning my MS in Nutrition Communication from Tufts University in Boston, MA. As well as my Registered Dietitian (RD) credential through the University of Delaware.
Beyond reading scientific studies about docosahexaenoic acid and selenium, I love to entertain, travel, watch reality TV, grill outdoors, and go to spin class. I live in Kailua, HI on the island of Oahu where my husband serves as a US Marine Corps JAG.
People in Hawaii eat more fish and shellfish than average, but over 80 percent of typical Americans don't eat seafood at least twice per week. Doctors and dietitians like me say that's the goal, so BlogAboutSeafood is here to show you just what plenty of seafood looks like in an RD's real-life diet.
Photo by Marco Garcia
