Salmon

As I slowly started changing my diet I decided I needed more fish in my life! I was not a fish person. Now, I realize, I was not preparing the fish correctly! I really love fish now and have to hold myself back from eating too much.

Salmon was a fish I really wanted to love. Here is why. It has Vit B-12&6 as well as other B’s, Vit D, selenium, niacin, omega-3 fatty acids (good for heart and brain), phosphorus (good for bones), choline, biotin, calcitonin (enhances calcium uptake which is good for improving bone density). It is jam packed full of good stuff and has some tryptophan as well so it can help you sleep well!

Farm or wild caught? The good news is that farmed and wild caught both seem to be low in mercury and PCB’s(polychlorinated biphenyls) depending on which studies you look at. The main concerns fall into three categories: environmental concerns, contamination, and omega-3 fatty acid levels in edible portions.

Environmental Concerns

Importing eggs from one region to another. Eggs are taken and “disinfected” (I think this means, given antibiotics) for a couple reasons, high density of fish can worsen a disease outbreak as well as can be a contributing factor.

If salmon eggs from one region are brought to another region to be “farmed” and one escapes, the environmental ramifications are not yet completely known. For instance, Atlantic salmon eggs brought to the Pacific to be farmed and one escapes into the wild. Besides being conditioned to being fed and so quite possibly would just die off, Pacific salmon and Atlantic salmon will not produce fertile offspring.

Sea lice is a possible issue, although there are regulations in place now. This may include introducing other chemicals into their environment, once again, it depends on which study you read. Some say it is pretty much resolved, others aren’t convinced.

Pollution: uneaten food and excrement from net pens seems to just affect the habitat just beneath pens, but damage doesn’t seem to be long term. Or is it?

Contamination

It appears that due to regulation and changing the feed that is given to farmed salmon the high levels of PCB’s that were reported about years ago is not as much of a problem now. Farmed and wild are similar where contaminants are concerned.

Omega-3 fatty acids

The Omega’s come from what the fish eat. This is where my problem lies with farmed fish in general, but salmon in particular. Wild salmon eat algae, plankton, leaves. The kind of plants they consumer determines what kind of omega-3’s that fish will have. The feed that farmed salmon are given are moving towards just grain and soy based now. They have been and in some cases still are given plants, grains and fishmeal. The oils they are given are plant derived oils in higher amounts than fish oil.

My thoughts

Wild caught salmon has less fat than farmed. The extra fat in the farmed fish is mostly saturated fat. I would go wild caught over farmed because it has more of the good stuff and less of the bad! Would I give up salmon completely if I could only get my hands on farmed, no. I would make sure I knew what the farm feeds the fish and in what condition they are kept.

I have tried many salmon recipes and this is by far my favorite way to prepare salmon. My husband loves it as well and he eats a “normal” diet. What I love is that when I say I’m making this salmon both my boys cheer! Maybe not as loud as for pizza, but pretty close. That makes this mom pretty thrilled.