When it comes to seafood it's good to know what the healthy, smart choices are.
Check out six kinds of seafood you should order and six you'd be better off skipping. Then,
head to your favorite local seafood spot and get ready to chow down.
There are usually two concerns when it comes to picking out what you want to eat: taste and how
healthy an item is. If you're concerned about either, you can't go wrong with ordering from
the raw bar. This includes items like shrimp cocktail, oysters, or clams. And you know that
a seafood tower comes out decked in a ton of ice and fish, right? That's usually a good option too.
Most of these kinds of items are great when it comes to the health factor. Since they haven't
been breaded or fried, you're not getting a ton of extra fat or carbs. And when it comes to taste,
you really can't beat the raw bar if you love the taste of seafood.
Into the idea of eating raw but don't really want to slurp down an oyster?
Clams might be less intimidating if you're still new to the world of seafood.
Sushi is an obvious one, of course, and it's something that you can find just about anywhere.
You might be concerned about the health risks of eating raw seafood.
Eat Right explains that for some people, the risks of eating raw are minimal,
which means you should dig in if you feel so inclined. But if you have health problems that
could make eating raw seafood an issue, speak with your doctor first. If you're still worried,
there are some alternatives to raw oysters that you can still enjoy.
Not all fish are created or farmed equal, and not all of it is worth your time or money.
Most of the time, tilapia fits into that category. That's because fish like tilapia and catfish are
more likely to be farm-raised instead of caught in the wild. Why is that a problem?
Because fish raised in these conditions are often treated with antibiotics and other chemicals that
fish caught in the wild aren't exposed to. Because of this, farmed fish are more likely to contain
trace pollutants than wild fish. A study in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety indicates
that levels of lead can be especially high in farmed fish. If you eat a lot of this type of
fish, it could potentially cause health problems, which is the last thing you want from any meal.
The degradation of our oceans is a huge problem that is having serious consequences on the food we
eat, so if you can, it's best to support fisheries that don't use these harmful practices. Because of
that, you may want to skip out on the tilapia and try something else on the menu instead.
Sure, you may have had plenty of lobster before, but there's a good
chance that you've never had Maine lobster, especially if you're not on the East Coast.
It just so happens that most of the lobster you will find
at the grocery store is actually from Canada. Canadian lobster isn't bad,
but it can't match up to the deliciousness that is real Maine lobster. That's because
the particular environment in this part of the ocean is perfect for producing sweet,
succulent lobsters that are just begging to be dipped in butter or slathered in mayo and lemon.
Obviously, the best place to grab a Maine lobster is, well, in Maine. If you're in doubt about what
kind of lobster you're getting, ask the person you're buying it from. Otherwise, it may be a
little bit harder to find a Maine lobster, but keep your eyes open. If worst comes to worst,
you'll just have to take a little road trip to New England so you can try it for yourself.
"Yes he is! Yes he is! And I have proof!"
You may love some fried catfish, but if you're going to listen to
our advice on skipping the tilapia, you might as well skip the catfish as well.
Since most catfish are farm-raised, there's a high chance that you're going to get a fish
that's been exposed to antibiotics and chemicals to keep it viable in less-than-ideal conditions.
And when you're paying money to get fresh seafood, that's probably not what you're going for.
By avoiding catfish and other farm-raised fish, you aren't just saving yourself money
you could spend on better seafood, you're also voting with your dollar.
Letting businesses know that you'll pay slightly more to get seafood raised sustainably can help
change the seafood industry to become more eco-friendly in the future.
We all want our children and grandchildren to enjoy seafood just as much as we do,
so this is an important issue you should think about the next time
you order from your favorite seafood restaurant.
"The inexpensive fish that are being substituted, a lot of them are farmed in Southeast Asia,
from places that have been shown over and over again to use bad practices."
Uni, which is sea urchin, is for those who are a little bit more adventurous.
But take it as a sign that chef Anthony Bourdain once said this
when he was asked if he had any dating advice for single guys:
"Put it this way, first or second date I would always take a woman to a really good sushi bar
and I would order uni, and if she didn't eat the uni, that relationship was pretty much over.
If she's immune to the charms of sea urchin roe or unwilling to try it, there's no hope."
That may not be a good gauge for everyone on a first date,
but we can see why it worked for Bourdain.
Let's just get it out of the way: uni is sea urchin roe,
or the reproductive organ of a sea urchin. Sound weird? Caviar isn't too far off! This stuff
seriously is a delicacy, so if you have a chance to try it, don't pass it up.
It's deliciously creamy and tastes like it came straight from the sea.
Apparently, it's also known as an aphrodisiac,
according to Food and Wine, so maybe Bourdain was onto something after all.
When you're at a Japanese restaurant and you're looking at the menu,
you might be immediately drawn to the bluefin tuna. It is known as being downright delicious,
after all, and you probably wouldn't mind trying it. However, if you want to make the
most sustainable choice possible, opting for the bluefin tuna really isn't a good idea.
Duncan Berry is the cofounder of Fishpeople, and he urges people to avoid buying bluefin
tuna at both restaurants and grocery stores alike. He said:
"Bluefin have become very overfished, and so we need to give this species time to recuperate."
Basically, we are fishing these animals faster than they can reproduce, which could eventually
lead to a complete collapse of the species. If you love eating tuna, that's the last thing you want.
But don't worry — you don't have to give up on tuna entirely. Instead,
there are other varieties that may be better for you and for the environment.
Albacore tuna belly has a similarly delicious flavor but is generally produced much more
sustainably. Look for that the next time you venture to a seafood restaurant near you.
If you are on the lookout for a healthier choice when you go to a seafood restaurant,
you might look to the section of the menu that features soups and salads. That would
actually be a smart move, especially if you were to end up ordering the clam chowder.
It's one of the better choices when it comes to seafood appetizers. Plus,
if you've never had good clam chowder, you need to get your mouth on some -– stat. A
bowl of this stuff will warm you up right away but won't make you too full for your meal.
Of course, New England clam chowder, which usually contains diced potatoes,
salt pork and onions, is known as the best of the best.
It's unfortunate that you can't just order any kind of seafood without thinking about
where it's sourced. But these days, many types of fish are exposed to all types of pollutants.
For example, if you eat a lot of fish, you can put yourself at risk of mercury poisoning,
Healthline reports. That can have serious health consequences,
like issues with motor control and changes to your vision.
Because of that, it pays to think about where your fish is actually coming from.
If you see "yellowfin tuna" being advertised on a menu, you might want to look the other way.
That's because yellowfin tuna caught near more populated parts of the U.S. were carrying 36
times the pollutants found in the same kind of fish that were farmed in more remote areas.
Perhaps if you're ordering off a menu in Europe or Japan, you don't have to worry as much about these
contaminants. But in the U.S., you might want to skip this kind of tuna if it's on the menu.
If you can find out where your fish came from, look for yellowfin tuna that
was farmed in the West Pacific Ocean, which should be freer of nasty stuff.
Blackened or grilled fish is another healthy option. Often, what we think of as "healthy"
fish is bland and tasteless: Imagine baked salmon with a squeeze of lemon on top. Sure,
it tastes good, but it's not actually what you think of as "indulgent." However,
you can order your fish the healthy way without sacrificing any of that flavor you love.
This is when it's time to order your fish either blackened or grilled. Being on the grill gives
fish a smoky flavor that you won't get when you order a baked fish. But if you really want
to take the flavor to the next level, order your fish blackened. If you get a whole fish,
this will leave the outside skin nice and crispy, which is an absolute joy to bite into. This method
of cooking is still a healthy option because blackened or grilled fish are rarely cooked
with much, or any, oil. Healthy and flavorful all at once? Sounds like a great option to us.
Mercury is a real concern when it comes to eating fish, as Harvard Medical School reports.
Most of the time, an occasional serving of fish won't hurt you, but if you're eating a lot of it,
are pregnant, or are feeding young children fish, you'll want to be careful not to overdo it.
"Because of the mercury levels in many popular types of fish, including tuna,
the government recommends limiting exposure to high mercury fish."
And if you're digging into seafood on a regular basis,
then swordfish may not be the best option for you.
That's because this type of fish is on the larger side,
and larger fish are likely to hold higher concentrations of mercury simply because
they eat lots of smaller fish that also carry mercury. Swordfish every now and then may not
be a huge problem, but you certainly won't want to order it on the regular.
If you're looking for a more sustainable choice that won't have you as worried about mercury,
you can stick to smaller fish, such as trout,
sardines, and sole. These fish typically have the lowest levels of mercury compared to other,
larger types of fish, so they're usually a good bet when it comes to this issue.
Crudo means "raw," so when you see something called crudo on a menu, expect raw fish to
come out to your table. Tuna tartare is a common crudo dish you'll often see, and you simply have
to try it. Raw tuna melts in your mouth, and it's often combined with delicious herbs and spices.
Another type of crudo that's popular in Latin America is ceviche. Ceviche is white fish
that's traditionally marinated in lime juice with chiles, onions, and often sweet potato,
although you can find a ton of different variations on this recipe out there.
You may also run across salmon tartare in your restaurant travels as well.
If you're at a restaurant that serves seafood but isn't a seafood restaurant, per se, there's
a good chance you'll want to avoid the "seafood special." That's doubly true if you're visiting
on a Monday. Why? Because the catch may not be so fresh. As chef Silvia Barban told Insider:
"Specials are tricky in restaurants. It could be the most fresh and delicious special,
but in some restaurants, specials are the way to clean up the fridge."
On Mondays, the restaurant may be trying to make room for the fresh stuff in the next week,
so you may end up getting all the not-so-fresh fish that wasn't served up over the weekend.
That being said, if you're at a good seafood restaurant, they're probably not going to serve
you something as a special unless it really is one of the best options available. If that's the case,
feel free to order whatever the chef suggests — you probably won't be disappointed you did.
At the end of the day, if you're going out specifically for seafood,
it does make more sense to visit a restaurant
that specializes in it instead of a steakhouse that adds it to their menu as an afterthought.
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