Have you been looking for a way to make your meal planning even healthier? Then try our seafood challenge! As you may know, top medical organizations like the American Heart Association recommend you eat fish at least two times a week due to all its health benefits and nutrients. That’s why we’re challenging our readers to take the seafood challenge by consuming at least the recommended 8–12 oz of seafood per week.
Are you ready to take the plunge? Then read on to find out our favorite easy strategies for incorporating plenty of fish in your diet.
Substitute Seafood for Meat in Your Favorite Recipes
One of the easiest ways to add more fish to your diet is by switching out meat-based proteins like beef or chicken and replacing it with fish. Beef burgers can easily become fish burgers, fish can replace chicken on taco Tuesday, hearty stews can be made meat-free by substituting scallops and shrimp for the protein, and you can make the kids fish sticks instead of chicken fingers. Eating more fish doesn’t mean you have to learn a bunch of new recipes—you can also just modify dishes you already love and know how to make.
Find a Style of Seafood You Love
One of the biggest obstacles people face when it comes to eating more fish is thinking they don’t like seafood. Luckily, there are so many different ways to eat fish that there’s sure to be one you enjoy! Here are some ideas:
- Baked fish
- Ceviche
- Soup (try fish corn chowder or a healthy version of a creamy soup)
- Nachos
- Pan-seared
If you’ve got a picky eater in the family, or aren’t a big fan of seafood yourself, trying a new style of preparing seafood help you discover a taste you love. And if you don’t enjoy the flavor of fish, try a mild, white fish like Tilapia.
Incorporate Seafood into Breakfast and Brunch
While many people think of seafood as something to be eaten at lunch or dinner, fish is making a splash at breakfast and brunch menus across America. It’s much lighter than traditional breakfast fare like sausage or bacon, and it’s much better for you too. For an easy restaurant-inspired brunch that you can whip up at home, try pan-searing a Tilapia fillet in your favorite seasonings and then topping it with an over-easy egg or choosing a side of smoked salmon over bacon.
Always Keep Seafood On Hand
Make it easy to eat seafood more often by keeping a selection of frozen fish and shellfish in your freezer. That way, you can stock up all at once when you’re doing a big grocery shop, and have a healthy protein on hand anytime. We like frozen Tilapia fillets from Indonesia, Mexico and Honduras because they’re quick to defrost, easy to cook and can be used in virtually any seafood recipe, thanks to their versatility. Here are some tips on cooking with frozen fish, and how to choose the best frozen fish at the grocery store.
Now that you know the easiest ways to incorporate more seafood into your diet, why not take the seafood challenge? If you’re ready to dive in, check out our favorite seafood recipes for some meal planning inspiration.
Photo credits: Alexander Raths / Shutterstock.com, Mikhail Valeev / Shutterstock.com, Andrey Armyagov / Shutterstock.com