Oysters are tasty, and also contain lots of important vitamins and minerals like: vitamins A, C and D, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, iron, phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, calcium, zinc, copper and iodine.
Mussels have been cultivated for over 800 years in Europe and indeed have been a valued food source for over 2,000 years! Mussels feed on plankton and can filter up to 65 gallons of water each day. Clam meat also comes in different colors, depending on species, age, and gender.
Salmon are known for the orange to red color of their flesh. This coloration is caused by the presence of caretenoid pigments such as astaxanthin and canthaxanthin that the fish receive from eating krill and other shellfish.
You know crab tastes good, but have you ever wondered what's tasty to the average crab? It turns out crabs are omnivores, just like humans. They eat a varied diet of plants and animals. Some of their favorite meals consist of seaweed and mollusks.
It is a good idea to have a separate cutting board dedicated to fish preparation, ideally made from nylon, to prevent cross contamination. While wood cutting boards work well, nylon boards are less like to absorb odors and are dishwasher safe.
Did you know that shrimp, tuna, and salmon have been the most popular seafood in the U.S. for the past decade? According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, the average American consumed more than four pounds of shrimp last year.
Visually, fresh fish should have a vibrant look to it, and the color of the flesh should be bright – even if it is white fish. The skin of the fish should have a sheen to it, without any discolored or dull patches to it.
Keep in mind that mussels are at their largest size in October and the smallest in March. A mature mussel can filter as many as 65 liters of water in a single day. You can identify a mussels gender by the color of its mantle, a membrane lining the shell. A female’s mantle is orange, while the male’s is a cream-colored white.
Cardiovascular health is important especially as we get older, and this is as much diet related as it is fitness related. Indeed, according to the Mayo Clinic, which conducted a study of over 80,000 postmenopausal women, those who ate broiled fish on a weekly basis lowered their risk of heart failure by 30 percent.
If you are concerned about the environmental pollutants found in some fish, the American Heart Association recommends adding a variety of different fish and shellfish to your diet. This will minimize the risk posed by any single product while still providing you with heart-healthy benefits.
If you eat your fair share of tuna, you're not alone. It's a popular fish option, and the experts still recommend eating fish weekly under most circumstances. How much tuna do you think the average American eats in a year? That would be 3.6 pounds or so.
If you are having difficulty getting oysters out of their shells, try using club soda! Really, just let the oysters soak in the club soda for a few minutes or more and this will make it much easier to open them.
How long can shrimp last? Fresh shrimp that has been sealed and frozen may last up to 5 months in the freezer, prepackaged frozen shrimp can last about 9 months in the freezer and fresh shrimp can last for about 4 days in the refrigerator.
Did you know that lobsters are cannibals? They’re constantly looking for fresh food and for what’s around them. If that happens to be another lobster, then that’s what’s for dinner.
There may be high levels of mercury in some, but not all, types of fish and shellfish. If you're concerned, the American Heart Association considers varieties like shrimp, salmon, catfish, and pollock among the safest to consume.
Did you know that the Maine lobster is actually called the "American lobster?" It was only nicknamed the "Maine lobster" because that happens to be where most lobsters are caught in the United States.
Are you at risk for getting sick if you eat shrimp that hasn't been deveined? If you guessed yes, guess again. The vein is harmless, and including or removing it is a matter of personal taste.
If you've ever felt sorry for a lobster peeking out of a restaurant or grocery store fish tank, your concern may be misplaced. Lobsters are naturally very aggressive, and they're cannibals too.
Seafood is very healthy, but it can sometimes be a challenge to get kids to eat it. Try a mild fish like cod or haddock. Battering and frying pieces to make fish sticks is usually a safe bet and a delicious way to get kids to enjoy healthy fish.
Squid (better known as calamari) and octopus are seldom sold to your seafood retailer frozen, and thus, your best bet is to purchase them on the same day that they are brought in. If you can find them frozen, know that both squid and octopus stand up pretty well to the rigors of the freezer.
Did you know that bluefin tuna is one of the largest species of fish in the world? A popular seafood, Atlantic bluefin tuna has an average length of 6.5 feet, with the largest ever caught weighing in at 1,496 pounds.
Several species of shrimp are included in the warm water shrimp family. Some of these are black tiger, white, and pink shrimp, each named for its natural shell color. In the U.S., warm water shrimp tends to be more popular than cold water shrimp.
The sweet, flaky meat of Alaskan snow crab is not only a delectable treat, but snow crab is also an excellent source of low-fat protein. One serving of snow crab contains only 90 calories and a little over 1 gram of fat plus over 18 grams of protein and about 34 micrograms of selenium.
When you buy shrimp, you purchase by the pound. Shrimp are separated and categorized by how many there are in a pound. Thus, a pound of U-15 (under 15) means that there are fewer than fifteen shrimp in that pound.