To Fish or Not to Fish?
Stay away from certain fish because they contain high mercury levels. Eat fish because it can boost your unborn baby’s IQ. What’s a mom-to-be to do?
A study out of the University of Bristol has found children whose mothers ate fish more than three times a week did better in tests of cognitive function.
A-ha. But there’s a catch. It’s not just any fish, but oily fish high in Omega-3 fatty acids, that help raise baby’s IQ. Unfortunately, some of the fish highest in Omega-3, like swordfish, are off-limits to pregnant and nursing women due to their higher mercury content.
Fortunately, many lower mercury-content fish, including, shrimp, canned light tuna, certain salmon, Pollock and catfish, are also high in Omega-3s. Farm-raised salmon tends to be lower in mercury, but also lower in Omega-3s, while Alaskan salmon tends to be the purest in the ocean. Use his handy mercury calculator to find out how much mercury is in the fish you want to eat.
To get the most benefit for the baby-to-be, pregnant women should aim for three servings per week of heart healthy (and brain healthy), low-mercury fish. You can also supplement your fish intake with an Omega-3 vitamin. Check with your doctor before taking any supplements if you’re pregnant or nursing.
Of course hubby and I want to raise a genius. So I’m starting to introduce more canned, white tuna (not albacore) and salmon into my diet (and longing for the day when I can enjoy a nice swordfish steak, again—and a cup of coffee after dinner!)
I won’t lie and call the recipe below “healthy,� but it’s definitely tasty, easy to prepare and is making eating more fish easier for me!
1 salmon steak or filet
2 cups low-sodium soy sauce
1/8 cup lemon juice
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon ginger, or more
In a baking pan or marinating dish, combine soy sauce, lemon juice and honey. Place salmon, skin side up, in marinade, for 30 minutes to an hour or more. (Refrigerate immediately!)
Remove fish from marinade and grill for 5 – 7 minutes on each side or until salmon is cooked through.
If you’re not pregnant, this entrée tastes great with a chardonnay like Robert Mondavi Private Reserve. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
OMG its so interesting that you mention fish because I just heard on this audiobook that although people think fish is the best place to get these nutrients, there are other places. The audio tape is the Freeway Guide to healthy eating and seriously it was so useful. First of all, I am a student and I seriously have no time to sit and read textbooks other than my already required reading. Plus they are boring and hard to read but it was easy and fun to just sit and listen to a short disk about healthy eating and other stuff like that. I was able to study, learn interesting facts, and find out what to eat all while being stuck in LA traffic. I gave these freeway guides to all my closest friends and sorority. Seriously, visit http://freewayguide.com for more information.
Thought you’d be interested in this short omega-3 video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIgNpsbvcVM
Allport’s book shows why fish are not the only way, nor are they the best way, of meeting our omega-3 needs.
Thanks for the info and resources! That’s good to know!
I genuinely enjoy fish, and, with all the bad things I like to eat, I feel good about my choice to eat fish! 🙂 I don’t only eat it for the Omega-3s. I love the taste, it’s lower in calories than its meat or poultry counterparts, and there are so many ways to prepare it.
To me, a good salmon, well-prepared, is almost, ALMOST as good as a steak! And a heckuva lot better for me. 🙂