Seafood is a flavorful, nutrient-rich food that provides high-quality protein, essential vitamins, and a range of health benefits. It is a key part of healthy eating patterns such as the Mediterranean diet, which has been widely associated with improved heart health. Health organizations widely recommend eating fish at least twice a week to promote brain function, reduce inflammation, and lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.
The Health Benefits of Seafood
Including fish and shellfish in your diet promotes a variety of benefits.
Heart Health: Omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood help reduce the risk of heart diseases by lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation, improving HDL (“good” cholesterol), and lowering LDL (“bad” cholesterol), and lowering triglyceride levels.
Brain Development and Cognitive Function: Omega-3 fatty acids are vital for brain health. Adequate omega-3 intake during pregnancy is associated with higher IQ and better cognitive function in children. For adults, omega-3s help to improve memory, problem-solving skills, and overall brain function. For older adults, regular seafood consumption is linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other forms of cognitive decline. Studies suggest that omega-3s can lower symptoms of depression, anxiety, and mood disorders.
A Healthy Weight: Seafood including salmon and other fish is a low-calorie protein source compared to meat and poultry and can be a smart choice for people looking to lose weight or maintain a healthy diet.
Bone Health: Seafood is an excellent source of vitamin D, a key nutrient in growing and maintaining strong bones. Vitamin D helps calcium absorption and lowers the risk of fractures and osteoporosis. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and is found in fattier fish such as salmon, mackerel, and herring.
A Healthy Immune System: Seafood is an excellent source of vitamins A and D and the trace minerals zinc and selenium that strengthen the immune system. Shellfish, such as oysters, clams, and shrimp, are particularly rich in immune-boosting minerals.
Choosing and Preparing Seafood
To get the most health benefits from seafood, choose fresh, frozen, or canned fish and shellfish without added salt, unhealthy fats, or preservatives. Cook seafood in healthy ways like grilling, steaming, or baking to keep its nutrients and reduce added fat. Eat a variety of seafood and choose low-mercury options such as Atlantic salmon, shellfish, flounder, haddock, cod, and canned light tuna.
If you aren’t currently consuming as much seafood as you’d like, here are some ways to add it to your diet:
Swap Your Protein: Replace your usual chicken or beef in pasta sauces, tacos, or stir-fries with shrimp or flaked white fish. Enjoy seafood by adding it to salads, soups, stir-fries, and casseroles.
Stock the Pantry: Keep canned tuna, salmon, or sardines readily available for quick, protein-packed meals.
Stock the Freezer: Look for frozen fish fillets such as salmon, cod or flounder, or shrimp. These take minutes to thaw and can be quickly pan seared, baked or grilled.
See Health Changes When You Add Seafood to Your Diet
Using these tips, you can add a variety of seafood to your diet that can support overall health and help lower the risk of chronic diseases. Whether it’s grilled salmon, baked cod, or shrimp stir-fry, seafood is a delicious and nutritious way to invest in your well-being.
Recipe: Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Quick, easy and full of flavor, this recipe comes together in minutes. Serve with rice or cauliflower rice, on a Mexican-inspired salad, in tacos with a cabbage slaw, as a tostada topping, or as part of a quesadilla. The options are endless!
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 pounds peeled, deveined, and thawed jumbo shrimp
- 1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (1 medium lime)
- 3-4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Directions:
- Season the shrimp with cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Working in batches, add 1 teaspoon of the oil to the pan, then add half of the shrimp in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes. Turn the shrimp over and cook until opaque throughout, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and shrimp.
- Add 1 teaspoon of oil and the garlic to the pan and saute til fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Return the first batch of shrimp to the skillet, mixing well so that the garlic is evenly incorporated. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Squeeze the lime juice over the shrimp. Add the cilantro, toss well, and serve.
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