Superfood Number Ten

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you probably could have guessed this type of food would come up on the superfood list. I swear I could easily become a pescetarian living in Scotland, especially with all of these meat scandals going on in all of the supermarkets! Anyway, lets take a look at my superfood today... Fish! 

As well as being extremely high in protein, some varieties of fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel are also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. According to WHFoods, these omega fats are thought to improve your mood by up to 30%. I'll go into further detail about a few fish varieties below, highlighting some of my recipes for you to include this superfood in your diet. By the way, did you know that you can get rid of that fishy smell when cooking fish by soaking it in milk for half an hour?!

Salmon 

Salmon is one of the top 3 foods containing omega 3 (just below walnuts and flaxseed). This omega 3 has so many health benefits: it is said to reduce the risk of heart problems, improve mood, cognition and eye health and, as with most others on my list, reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.

A regular 115g fillet of salmon contains over 250% of you daily vitamin D RDA, over 100% of your vitamin B intake and 61% of your protein, selenium and omega 3 fatty acid intakes all in only 250 calories! 

As well as all of these benefits, salmon is so versatile. It can be grilled, baked from frozen, broiled, steamed, stir-fried, smoked... The possibilities are endless! 

Grilled Salmon with Stir-Fried Veg

This is a simple grilled salmon with stir fried vegetables recipe which can be made in under 20 minutes and with a tight budget too.

Salmon in Homemade Tomato Sauce with Quinoa and Mixed Veg Side

Salmon and Avocado Salad

Cod

Cod has a much milder flavour compared to salmon, making it a popular ingredient in battered fish suppers (a favourite in Scotland) and fish fingers. But think beyond the batter here and you will find a food that has a lot of great health benefits. 

In a typical 115g fillet of cod, there is 75% of your selenium RDA, 93% of your tryptophan RDA and 55% of your daily protein intake, all in only 120 calories with an extremely low fat content! 

Cod is high in omega 3 fatty acids which, as you have just read above, is great for reducing the risk of heart disease and strokes. Cod is also high in Niacin which can lower bad cholesterol as well as vitamin B and selenium, both thought to reduce the risk of colon cancer. It is also believed that eating the correct quantity of this kind of fish each week can lessen cognitive decline and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's and other age-related diseases.  

The cod in all recipes below can be replaced with other cuts of white fish (haddock, plaice, coley, lemon sole, skate, halibut, monkfish, pollack, sea bass etc) if desired.

Fish Risotto 

Puy Lentils with Mixed Roasted Veg and Baked Cod

Baked Fish with Roasted Mix Veg

Simply chop up some veg and toss with a bit of oil, salt, pepper and dried basil. Wrap up a fillet of cod loosely in tinfoil with a sprinkling of ground pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Place both in a roasting tin in a pre-heated oven at 170 degrees (GM5) for 25 minutes. 

Baked Cod with Stir-Fried Veg 

Prawns

Prawns are such a convenient food; the frozen variety can be defrosted in under three hours and are great to add in to almost any type of meal as an added source of protein. Remember that a lot of people can be allergic to shellfish though so eat with caution!

One portion (115g) of prawns contain over 100% of your daily tryptophan, 64% of your selenium intake, 50% of your RDA of protein, 30% of your vitamin B intake and 20% of your iron RDA all with only 110 calories and 1g of fat!

This type of shellfish is extremely high in an antioxidant astaxanthin which is a carotenoid believed to be an anti-inflammatory. It may also reduce the risk of diabetes and colon cancer. As well as this, prawns are extremely high in selenium which can be easily absorbed by the body in this case. 

Prawn Paella

Seafood Spaghetti

Healthy Stir-Fried Rice With Prawns

Seafood Salad

Tinned Fish

Although tinned fish isn't as nutritionally beneficial as the fresh variety, those which still contain the fish bones but in an edible form can be extremely high in calcium and phosphorus, both of which are great for healthy bones and teeth. To include tinned fish (salmon, sardines, pilchards, anchovies etc.) in your diet, why not mix them in with a salad, add them to a homemade pizza or toss through spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce?

What's your favourite kind of fish? and Favourite way to cook it? Are you a fan of the Scottish favourite: Battered Fish and Chips (I bet you thought I was talking about battered Mars Bars didn't you?!)... I'm certainly not! Give me a Meze any day ;)