Seafood Nutritional Information.
| Nutritional Info | Haddock | Herring | Prawns | Beef (Topside) |
Lamb (Leg) |
Pork (Chops) |
Chicken |
| Kcal/KJ Protein (g) Carbohydrate (g) Fat(g) Calcium(mg) Iron(mg) Vitamin A(ug) (retinol equivalent) Vitamin D(ug) Thiamin(mg) Riboflavin(mg) Niacin (mg) |
81/345 19.0 0 0.6 14 0.1 Trace Trace 0.04 0.07 4.4 |
190/791 17.8 0 13.2a 60 1.2 44 19.0b 1.01 0.26 4.1 |
76/321 17.6 0 0.6 79 1.6 Trace Trace |
179/748 19.6 0 11.2 5 1.9 Trace Trace |
240/996 17.9 0 18.7 6 1.7 Trace Trace |
329/1362 15.90 0 29.5 8c 0.8 Trace Trace 0.57 0.14 4.2 |
230/954 17.60 0 17.7 10 0.7 Trace Trace 0.08 0.14 6.0 |
| Composition per 100g/raw food |
a: figures vary from 5g/100g in Spring to 20g/100g in
Winter |
||||||
Data from 'The Composition of Foods', 5th edition (plus supplements), are reproduced with permission of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Controller of HMSO
As well as tasting delicious, fish is good for you. The C.O.M.A. Report (Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy, 1994) advises that fish should be eaten as part of a healthier lifestyle. As part of a balanced diet it recommends that: "Two portions of fish should be eaten weekly, of which one should be oil-rich fish".
Many people realize that a balanced diet is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle. Why are fish so essential in the diet?
Protein
Fish provides a good source of quality protein, essential for body building and
repair of tissues.
Vitamins
All fish are a good source of B vitamins, responsible for converting food to
energy in cells and also helping to build healthy nerve tissue. Oil-rich fish
provides an important source of vitamins A and D. Vitamin A maintains healthy
eyes, skin and hair while vitamin D is needed for helping the formation of
strong bones and teeth.
Minerals
Fish offers a good source of calcium which is needed by the body to enable the
formation of healthy bones and teeth. Also present are iodine and fluorine which
are needed for growth and metabolism, as well as magnesium and zinc.
Fewer
Calories
White fish such as cod, haddock, plaice or sole can provide a tasty, low calorie
meal option (81Kcal/345Kj per 100g). Oil-rich fish such as mackerel, sardines
and herring have around 190Kcal/791KJ per 100g but still represent a good
healthy eating choice when compared with other food sources in the diet (e.g.
lamb chops - 377Kcal/1558KJ per 100g, chicken including skin - 230Kcal/954KJ per
100g).
Fat
To achieve a balanced diet we need to reduce total fat intake and it is also
important to make sure that the type of fat we eat is right. The fat that is not
beneficial to us is the hard "saturated" fat which comes mainly from
the fat of land animals such as cows and sheep. Unsaturated fats can help to
reduce the cholesterol level in the blood, thus lowering the risk of heart
disease. Oil-rich fish such as mackerel, sardines, herring and sprats are rich
in unsaturated fats containing Omega-3 so valuable for health.
What
is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is the type of fat which is naturally produced by our bodies and is
also found in the diet. It is essential for life but too much of it circulating
in the bloodstream is a problem, and it is usually deposited in the lining of
the blood stream vessels, causing them to narrow. The heart then has to work
harder to pump blood around the body. Blood clotting can result and the
cholesterol deposits can be very hard. Tissues can become deprived of oxygen
when the blood vessels become blocked.
Omega-3
Two fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic
(DHA), collectively known as Omega-3, are essential fatty acids. They cannot be
made in the body, but are essential in the diet. Oil-rich fish are an excellent
source of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Countries which have a diet high in fish have a very low number of cases of heart disease. The Inuit (Eskimos) of Greenland, the Japanese, the Portuguese and the Spanish are good examples. Trials carried out in Britain have confirmed that special Omega-3 oil in fish can reduce the risk of dying from heart attacks.
The special Omega-3 oils from fish have been shown to have a lowering effect on blood fats. This decreases the chance of the blood vessels clogging with cholesterol. Omega-3 can also make blood less "sticky", and it therefore flows more easily around the body. This can reduce the risk of a heart attack. They also help to reduce blood pressure a little and keep the heart beat steady.
There is also evidence to suggest that people who eat fish twice a week are less likely to suffer from a stroke.
Experts now believe that fish oils can help to prevent cancer cells progressing to the tumour stage. They may also reduce inflammation and provide relief for people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and even some skin disorders such as psoriasis.
Brain
Food
The old wives tale that "fish is good for the brain" has now been
ratified by medical experts. Omega-3 oils can play an important part in aiding
the development of our brains. Indeed, expectant mothers are advised to eat a
lot of oil-rich fish in the last three months of pregnancy to assist the baby's
brain growth! Further research has revealed that a good supply of Omega-3 oils
assists the development of nerves and eyesight.
Copyright 2009 Martins Seafresh.
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