You’re starving, it’s 7pm, and you need to get something on the table. Sound familiar? Don’t worry—a tasty, nutritious, and affordable meal awaits you. All you need is one of the long-forgotten cans of seafood deep in your pantry.
To learn more about the health benefits of seafood, check out our interview with Serena Ball, RD [1].
Seek out additional information from educational resources such as Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch [2], which educates consumers on seafood choices. For example, they recommend Pacific sardines from the U.S. and Canada because they are caught in a manner that does not impact other species.
The great taste, nutrition benefits, inexpensive cost, and fast preparation methods of canned seafood should make us think twice about incorporating it into our next meal—whether it’s last-minute or not.
Any dark leafy green would work well in this dish, but I chose Swiss chard because I love its bitterness with the sweet tomatoes, spicy red chili flakes, and fresh herbs. Because of these strong flavors, the sardines in this dish do not taste fishy at all. RECIPE HERE [10]
Socca is a chickpea pancake or crepe served in France and Italy (where it is called “farinata”). The base of a socca is chickpea flour, which is high in protein and fiber (higher than white flour for equal servings) and is an excellent source of vitamin B-6, magnesium, and iron. RECIPE HERE [11]
Some canned salmon contains fish bones. While it may appear strange, the bones are very soft and are easily crushed when mixing the salmon. Eating canned salmon with bones increases your calcium intake. RECIPE HERE [12]
Emilia Petrucci, Oldways media intern and nutrition communications student at Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
Byrd-Bredbenner, C., Moe, G., Berning, J., & Kelley, D. (2015). Wardlaw’s Perspectives in Nutrition. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Fish: Friend or Foe? Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fish/#1 [13]
Mercury alert: is canned tuna safe to eat? Environmental Defense Fund. Retrieved from https://www.edf.org/oceans/mercury-alert-canned-tuna-safe-eat [14]
Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.seafoodwatch.org [2]
Links
[1] http://www.oldwayspt.org/one-one-interview-0
[2] http://www.seafoodwatch.org/
[3] http://www.oldwayspt.org/blog/five-reasons-get-fishy-national-seafood-month
[4] https://www.msc.org/
[5] https://www.epa.gov/choose-fish-and-shellfish-wisely
[6] http://www.fda.gov/food/foodborneillnesscontaminants/metals/ucm393070.htm
[7] http://www.oldwayspt.org/system/files/atoms/files/12ways_sardines_0.pdf
[8] http://www.oldwayspt.org/recipes/orecchiette-con-cime-di-rape
[9] http://www.oldwayspt.org/recipes/tomato-salad-el-alfama
[10] http://www.oldwayspt.org/recipes/whole-grain-pasta-sardines-swiss-chard
[11] http://www.oldwayspt.org/recipes/socca-anchovies-olives-kale
[12] http://www.oldwayspt.org/recipes/salmon-meatballs-cucumber-yogurt
[13] https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fish/#1
[14] https://www.edf.org/oceans/mercury-alert-canned-tuna-safe-eat