I remember when I was a kid and my mom and grandma always said “fish is brain
food”—they were right. Fish is like a multivitamin for your brain.

Fish and shellfish can supply the low-fat protein and other essential nutrients needed
for brain development, strong bones, a healthy heart and immune systems. But they
are also finding that fish provides the vitamins and minerals important for mental
health. According to the Seafood Nutrition Partnership, the nutrients that tend to be
low in people who are depressed—vitamin D, magnesium and zinc--are found in fish.

One important nutrient found in fish is omega-3 fatty acids. Omega 3s promote
cardiovascular health as well as reduced risk for type-one diabetes. High consumption of omega-3 fatty acids has also been associated with reduced risks for Alzheimer’s disease, decreased anxiety and depression.

All of this is great news. But the problem is that our bodies can’t make omega-3 fatty
acid, we have to get it from the foods we eat. Even though we know this, almost 90% of Americans DO NOT eat enough seafood. Do you?

How much should you eat?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating fish as part of a healthy eating plan. The current guidelines on seafood encourages eating eight-ounces or more per week of a variety of seafood for the general population.

Proponents of the Mediterranean Diet offer similar recommendations saying that
changing the kinds of proteins you eat is one of the most impactful ways you can
improve your diet. Eating more fish and seafood is a major way to do this. People
following the Mediterranean Diet eat at least eight-ounces of fish or seafood a week. At least one serving should be of a high fat fish such as salmon, mackerel, anchovies,
sardines or herring.

One of the major reasons people don’t eat enough fish is they don’t know how to cook it. Our Med Instead of Meds program can help with this. Med Instead of Meds was developed by NC Extension and the NC Department of Public Health program and the website offers several ideas and recipes on easy ways to prepare fish. This recipe for Fish Tacos with Avocado-Mango Salsa comes from this website.

These fish tacos are so light and fresh, they will even turn the heads of the fish taco
haters. Any white fish such as pollock, catfish, grouper, haddock, halibut, rockfish, mahi mahi, striped bass, or swordfish will work. So, look for what’s available, what you like and what you can afford.

While the fish is good for you, the star of this dish is definitely the Avocado-Mango Salsa! If you’re not an avocado person, you might want to try the Ginger Mango Salsa instead it too can be found on the Med Instead of Med’s recipe site

Fish Tacos with Avocado-Mango Salsa.

• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
•  ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound fish fillets
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup sliced avocado
• ⅔ cup finely chopped peeled ripe mango
• ¼ cup chopped green onions
• ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
• 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 8 (6-inch) whole-wheat tortillas (can be substituted for corn tortillas)

Mix together the cumin, salt, paprika, chili powder and garlic and rub over the fish. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to a hot pan. Add fish to pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from heat. Keep warm.

To make salsa: In a medium bowl, combine avocado, mango, green and red onions, cilantro, and lime juice.

Warm tortillas over a hot pan for 30 seconds on each side or until warm. Separate fish into pieces and divide evenly among tortillas. Top with 2 tablespoons of salsa on each taco. Serving size is 2 tacos. Nutrition information per serving: 481 calories, 28 grams protein and 759 mg sodium.

You can learn more about the Mediterranean Diet at the Med Instead of Meds website. There are on-line videos that explain the basic concepts of eating a fish-filled Mediterranean diet and many recipes that can help you incorporate these concepts into your everyday meals.The health benefits of eating seafood are very compelling. Living close to the ocean makes this easier for us. If you don’t eat two servings of fish a week, I challenge you to make a change and get more seafood into your diet.

Resources

• Med Instead of Meds:
  • Ginger Mango Salsa
  • Fish Tacos with Avocado-Mango Salsa
  •  Fish & Seafood Buying Guide 
  • Change Your Protein
• Ohio State University: Feast on Fish 

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Syracuse is a Family and Consumer Science team member and can be reached at N.C. Cooperative Extension, Brunswick County Center 910-253-2610 or by email at clsyracu@ncsu.edu