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.
As a seafood dietitian, I often encounter what I like to call “seafood slander.” This is misinformation, usually in the media, about fish. This week was especially frustrating, because of a handful of careless reports that claimed bacon, hamburgers, and doughnuts may be healthier than lean fish like tilapia.
For a well-balanced, heart-healthy diet, eat a variety of seafood that can include lean fish and shellfish along with plenty of the oily kind like salmon, tuna, and trout. And I’m sorry to report, “replacing tilapia or catfish with ‘bacon, hamburgers or doughnuts’ is absolutely not recommended.”
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
