Calorie and Nutrition Value of Fish Meat
Fish are nutritious foods that are considered as healthier alternatives to red meat or poultry. While they have high protein content, it is still less than other types of meats. But that makes fish meat lighter and easier to digest as well. The calorie content of fish meat is not as high as well, being only around half that of beef.
There are mainly two kinds of fish meat in the dietary sense, which are white fish, and oily fish. Although there are a huge number of fish species in the world, only a small percentage is eaten consistently as food. The white fish have lower fat content than oily fish, but that means they also have less Omega 3 fats, which perform a range of functions in the body, especially that of protecting against heart disease and brain development. It is worth bearing in mind that the nutrients and calorie counts of fish meat varies a lot, depending on the age and species of fish.
Omega 3 fats are a group of unsaturated fatty acids that mostly need to be obtained from food sources, with the main ones being DHA and EPA. Salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel have relatively high levels of DHA and EPA in their flesh. This may be the reason why Eskimos have such low rates of heart disease compared to the rest of the world – They consume a lot of fish. Fish, especially deep sea fish like those mentioned, are also rich in vitamins A, B, and D as well. The minerals of zinc, iron, and calcium, are also present in significant quantities.
While fish is considered a much healthier alternative to traditional red meat, eating too much fish may increase the levels of heavy metals and industrial pollutants in your bloodstream. Heavy metals like mercury have been detected from fish in certain parts of the world’s oceans, even in remote regions. Catches of fish have also been showing a gradual decline each year. As the seas become more polluted, fish nesting sites destroyed, and unsustainable fishing practices continue to be carried out, fish may no longer be reliable as an integral part of the human diet.
In the case of sashimi, or Japanese raw fish, there is a danger of bacteria contaminating the meat. A particular Japanese cuisine, fugu, is a dangerous form of sashimi. The toxins in the fugu fish are stored within its internal organs, and improper handling may result in a serious accident, even death. Likewise, some other kinds of fish also contain natural toxins in their skin, organs, and flesh, and these may build up in the body over time. Sashimi differs from sushi in the sense that sushi actually denotes rice flavored with vinegar and topped with a little sashimi, while sashimi is just pure fish meat without any cooking.
Fresh water fish also contain similar amounts of protein to marine fish, but the amount of Omega 3 fats in the meat is considerably lower. But the advantage of freshwater fish over marine fish is the greater control over the environment and feeding of the fish, as in the case of farm bred fish, which may result in less toxic metals or chemicals being present in the fish meat. Also, fish prices have gone up.
A 150 g serving of steamed white fish meat typically supplies around 30g of protein, next to no fat or fiber, and 138 calories (which is on the low end scale). This calorie count is typically much lower than that of red meat.
