Health & Nutrition

MyPlate Recommendation

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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.

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salmon cake Benedict

salmon cake benedict
 
Today for breakfast I made a sort of salmon cake Benedict. Half a whole wheat hamburger bun + a salmon cake + a poached egg – the hollandaise sauce.  I recently learned how to make real hollandaise sauce, but will not be whipping that up for a quick breakfast anytime soon. I can still remember the deep ache in my right bicep from endless whisking. Also, of course, salmon cake Benedict becomes an indulgence when you add the creamy sauce. Without it, it’s a perfectly hearty and healthful way to start the day.  Are you a bit surprised that a healthy breakfast can be more than bran cereal?
 
"‘Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet’" has been the mantra for healthful eating for decades…,” says the Harvard School of Public Health, “…but as a nation it hasn't helped us control weight or become healthier.” We’ve known for a while now that “what really matters is the type of fat in the diet” and “for most people, the mix of fats in the diet influences cholesterol in the bloodstream far more than cholesterol in food does.”
 
Fish is the poster child for good fat, and that is why “The American Heart Association recommends eating fish (particularly fatty fish) at least two times (two servings) a week.”  Yep, they specifically say, go for a “fatty” food!
 
And Harvard calls concern about the small amount of cholesterol in seafood “something of a red herring.”   They explain that myth got started when “the discovery half a century ago that high blood cholesterol levels were strongly associated with an increased risk for heart disease triggered numerous warnings to avoid foods that contain cholesterol, especially eggs, liver, shrimp, and lobster.” But then studies showed that eating foods like “shrimp and lobster doesn't raise LDL [bad] cholesterol. Also, most people make more cholesterol than they absorb from their food.”

 

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About Jennifer

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

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