5 Fish that are Nutritious and Sustainable

Fish is regularly offered up as an excellent source of nutrition, but what is it about fish that makes it so good for you, and which fish is the best to choose. It’s fairly easy now to find good quality varieties of fish at your nearest supermarket that are fresh and taste great, but we often find that there are so many types of fish that it can be overwhelming to move away from your trusted cod or tuna. With dwindling stocks of the most popular fish, it can be a positive choice for your wallet, as well as your waistline, if you are eating the right fish.

What types of fish can I get?

From a coastal fishmonger, almost any seasonal fish types are available, but even the supermarket has a surprising number of fish species in stock now. It’s easy to find cod, salmon and tuna, but the less well known varieties of fish are equally high in protein and good fats, while being a lot cheaper. Fish species such as pollock, trout, whitefish, haddock and sole are widely used in cooking now as healthy alternatives to expensive, overfished species. Some of these types of fish have excellent nutrition

1. Pollock

 

Pollock is a white fish which is an excellent source of a number of nutrients. Pollock only contains 1g of fat, and an excellent 19g of protein in 100g of fish. Of that protein, a substantial amount comes in the form of the amino acid leucine. This is the important amino acid for post exercise recovery and muscle gain. Pollock is also very high in vitamin B12, an essential vitamin for cell regeneration and blood cell production.  Pollock also contains a lot of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for good cardiovascular health. Be careful with Pollock because 100g of it contains 24% of your RDA cholesterol. If you have high blood pressure, pollock might not be the fish for you.

2. Trout

Trout is a fish that contains 21g of protein in 100g of fish, which is excellent for those looking to increase muscle mass. It also contains exceptional amount of vitamin B12, phosphorus, which is excellent for bone and teeth formation while aiding in the digestion of other vitamins and minerals. This fish is also extremely high in omega-3 fatty acids, more so than pollock. Trout does contain 10% of your RDA of fat, but only 1.1g of saturated fat, making it much healthier than your other meat choices. As with many fish species, cholesterol is still high, at 19% of your RDA per 100g, but this is lower than some other fish. An all-round good choice.

3. Whitefish

Whitefish is limited in its potential benefits compared to other fish, Its levels of vitamins and minerals are lower than its contemporaries, and yet the levels of fat (6g per 100g) and cholesterol (20 of your RDA per 100g) are still fairly high. That being said, whitefish still contains very good levels of omega-3 fatty acids, protein and low levels of salt, particularly compared to Pollock.

4. Haddock

Haddock is less of an oily fish choice and as such its levels of mega-3 fatty acids is low. Its balance of good quality vitamins and minerals is good, but not stand-out, particularly compared to pollock and trout. It is still very high in protein, with 19g per 100g, and is extremely low in fat for animal based protein. As such, haddock is a very good choice for somebody aiming to build muscle and looking for varied meat in their diet. It contains 19% of your RDA cholesterol per 100g, which is high, but as a main meal, with careful management, this is ok, particularly given that a lot of this cholesterol is HDL cholesterol, and therefore, good for you.

5. Sole

Sole is a type of flat fish which has become popular is restaurant cooking. Again, sole is not a classic oily fish, and as such, is low in omega-3 fatty acids, so if you are hoping for fish oil benefits, this one is best avoided. Similar to haddock in its nutrition, it contains good levels of protein, and very low levels of fat. It has a better level of cholesterol compared to haddock, and has extremely good levels of selenium, which improve the immune system and skin damage recovery.

Conslusion

This is just a small amount of analysis of the potential choices at the fish counter. Make sure you find out what the best type of fish is for your diet. It you are building muscle, less oily fish offers excellent protein, but for healthy levels of vitamins and minerals, fish like pollock and trout are a more beneficial fish for you.

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