Fish are a healthy food choice and can easily be incorporated into very delicious meals and snacks. Whether canned, fresh or frozen, adding fish to your diet is always an excellent decision!
Although the kind of fish selected will impact the nutrient content, all fish contain many healthy nutrients and are rich in:
· Protein – used as building blocks for body tissues and required for transport of nutrients
· Vitamin B12 – needed to maintain healthy nerve and red blood cells
· Vitamin D – required for healthy teeth and bones
· Iron – necessary to make new blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body
Fatty fish are often viewed as especially healthy as they contain omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fats are a form of essential fat meaning they cannot be not created in the body, and therefore need to be consumed in our diet.
DID YOU KNOW? Salmon, anchovies, herring, pollock, lake whitefish, smelt and rainbow trout are all great examples of fatty fish containing omega-3 fats.
There are many ways to enjoy fish, whether fresh, frozen or canned! Try:
· Adding canned tuna or salmon to salads
· Enjoying fish on whole grain crackers or bread
· Grilling or frying canned sardines – just add fresh lemon juice and serve
· Making fish cakes or incorporating fish in quiche
· Choosing oven-baked, grilled, or poached fish over fried or battered fish
· Adding fish to your pasta sauces or on top of pizza
· Flavouring fresh fish with herbs, spices, lemon juice, garlic and add little or no salt
Delicious Canned Salmon Fish Cakes
Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can of salmon
1 egg
¼ cup onion, chopped
½ cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions:
1. Drain and reserve liquid from salmon. Mix egg, onion, bread crumbs and salmon together.
2. Make into patties. If mixture is too dry to form into patties, add reserved liquid from salmon.
3. In a frying pan, heat olive oil. Place patties in pan. Brown on each side, turning gently. Drain on paper towels.
4. Serve with vegetables and a source of whole grain to make a complete meal.
Simple Whitefish with Lemon and Herbs
Ingredients:
4 whitefish fillets
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large lemon, thinly sliced, seeded
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 450⁰F and place a baking sheet in oven to preheat as well.
2. Cut 4 large rectangles of foil and place a fish fillet in the center of each piece.
3. Combine remaining ingredients except lemon slices in a small bowl and stir well.
4. Spread mixture evenly over fish, scatter lemon slices on top, and fold the edges of the foil over each fillet, crimping edges tightly.
5. Place packaged fish on preheated baking sheet and bake 13-15 minutes, until fish is just cooked through.
6. Serve fish with vegetables and whole grains to make a complete meal.
Easy Tuna Casserole
Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) package of egg noodles
¼ cup onion, chopped
2 cups cheese, shredded
1-2 cups frozen or canned vegetables (peas, corn, beans, and/or carrots)
2 (5 ounce) cans tuna, drained
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
½ (4.5 ounce) can sliced mushrooms
Instructions:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
2. Preheat oven to 425⁰F.
3. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix noodles, onion, 1 cup cheese, vegetables, tuna, soup and mushrooms. Transfer to a 9×13 inch baking dish, and top with remaining 1 cup cheese.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is bubbly.
Quick ‘n Easy Tuna Salad
Ingredients:
1 (3 ounce) can tuna, drained
1-2 tablespoon Greek yogurt
1-3 tablespoons pickle relish
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Instructions:
1. Stir tuna, Greek yogurt and pickle relish together in a bowl based on your personal taste preference.
2. Serve with raw vegetables, whole grain crackers, bread, or tortillas.