Best time to eat fish

Fish is one of the staple foods of most cultures around the world. Be it fish from the oceans or freshwater fish, sautéed or curried, fish forms one of the principal items in menus across the globe. As a result, it is one of the most exported commodities in the world, and one of the commonest frozen food items. Thanks to globalization, practically all kinds of fish today are available everywhere in the world, irrespective of geographical barriers and season. Yet, it would be surprising to note that it is, in fact, not a very healthy idea to consume this creature out of season, all the time. Here, let us find out the right time and place to eat fish.

best time to eat fish

Lunch

Fish can actually be taken any time of the day, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But due to the risk of absorbing too much mercury, it is best to limit consumption to one or two meals during the day. Pack a healthy fish fillet in your lunch box, and you are good to go. Ideally, fish should be consumed with the heaviest lunch of the day, something that usually has fat content that can be absorbed by the omega 3 fatty acids most fish contain. Alternatively, small bits of fish can be eaten with your breakfast or dinner if you are also taking in dairy, which is good in combination with fish oils.

When you are pregnant

Large fish like swordfish contain toxic elements like mercury, which is dangerous for a developing fetus. So, it is best to avoid such fish when you are expecting, especially during the first trimester. You can fill up your diet with small portion of smaller fish, such as tuna, in order to get the essential omega 3 fatty acids. But do remember to keep your consumption to around one helping a day to avoid accumulation of small amounts of mercury that might cause dizziness and the inability to concentrate.

When you are watching your weight

We’ve all been there; the holiday season gives way to guilt and piles of suddenly-small clothing. Fish is a great item to introduce in your diet when you are trying to be healthy. Most fish contain omega 3 fatty acids, which help in boosting good cholesterol, this increasing your rate of metabolism and helping break down the fat cells. Fish also provides a bit of fibre in your diet, which again helps in fighting all the excess weight. So, instead of the red meat, gorge on fish.

When you are recovering

Fish contains ample amounts of vitamins, and fish oil contains omega 3 fatty acids. So, a healthy helping of fish, boiled, sautéed, or mildly curried, is a great dish to speed up your recovery. This is especially true if you are recovering from any kind of cardiac illness; the fish oils will begin to fight the cholesterol in your veins right away. In fact, studies suggest that people who consume fish more than twice a week run a significantly lower risk of contracting cardiac illnesses than people who don’t.

While it is actually fine to be eating seafood each day, the idea is not really environmentally sustainable. Remember, we are not just eating full grown fish, we are eating the roe as well, which means we are actually contributing to dwindling fish population. It might seem preposterous right now with the amount of fish that is being sold and eaten every day, but so did the dodo and the Indonesian tiger at some point. Until they couldn’t reproduce fast enough, that is. But with fish farming on the rise, we can certainly expect to avert that crisis and keep including this healthy and delicious item in our meals.