How to Pick Seafood for a Mediterranean Diet

Eating fish a few times a week is one way to follow a healthy Mediterranean Diet. Some seafood products are healthier than others, and those are nutritionally more in line with the Mediterranean Diet than other types of seafood. The Mediterranean Diet focuses on eating foods with actual health benefits, including foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Here you will find a way to pick just the right seafood for the plan.

Instructions

Pick Seafood With High Levels of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

1. Shop for seafood with the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids. This is the first criteria to use when you pick seafood for a Mediterranean diet. Consider these types of seafood, which contain the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

2. Find a local source of Fresh Atlantic Salmon. Fresh Atlantic Salmon is a top choice when you need to pick seafood for a Mediterranean diet. A 200-calorie serving of Fresh Atlantic Salmon contains approximately 2843mg of Omega-3 fatty acids. Other options are smoked salmon or canned salmon, when fresh salmon is not available.

3. Pick seafood for a Mediterranean diet from this list of seafood which is highest in Omega-3 fatty acids: Halibut, oysters, fresh tuna. snapper, shark, Snapper, Rainbow Trout, Grouper, Crayfish, Oysters or Calamari.

4. Consider canned tuna or canned sardines when you must have seafoods of convenience. Sardines offer a quick and convenient snack rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.

5. Choose your raw fish options. The seafood for a Mediterranean diet that is highest in Omega-3 fatty acids when eaten raw is black caviar. Raw Atlantic Mackerel and raw American shad are also rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.

Narrow Down the Seafood Choices by Health Benefit

1. Boost your health to another level when you pick seafood for a Mediterranean diet that is not only rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, but is also lowest in calories. Here are the top seafood products you should pick for a Mediterranean diet when you are serious about eating healthy and maintaining or losing weight. Fresh salmon, canned salmon, Mackerel, oysters, canned sardines, Bass, Trout, Shark and Tuna are best choices when you are learning to pick seafood for a Mediterranean diet.

2. Watch the cholesterol levels when you pick seafood for a Mediterranean diet. The seafood products which are highest in cholesterol are squid, shrimp, crayfish, clams, cuttlefish, lobster and perch.

3. Minimize fat intake when you pick seafood for a Mediterranean diet. If this is a concern, stick with frog legs, tuna fish, ling fish, Pacific Cod, Pike, or North Atlantic Cod.

4. Simplify a healthy lunch when you pick seafood for a Mediterranean diet. Go for imitation scallops or imitation crab meat which is made from real fish. They are also low in fat.

5. Stay strong by going for the iron when you pick seafood for a Mediterranean diet. The seafood products highest in iron, if you are concerned about eating less red meat, are clams, oysters, cuttlefish, and octopus.

Tips & Warnings

• Select fin fish over crustaceans.

• Pick seafoods which are low in fat.

• Avoid lobster since it has a high cholesterol level.

• Only purchase raw seafood from retailers and restaurants which have licenses to serve raw fish.