Most of us have no problem eating our required levels of fat each day. The flavour and texture it provides to food almost brainwashes us to keep eating. We have all been there on a Friday night after work, sitting on the couch watching a movie with a big bag of chips. You stick your hand back in the grease lined bag only to find that but a few crumbs remain. The sad feeling sets in that you demolished your daily fat intake in less than an hour.
What is more troubling about this situation is that it is the wrong kind of fat. Poor fat, always getting a bad name when really fat is essential to daily living. It helps us to transport required vitamins throughout our bodies to aid in essential functions. Fat also helps to provide our organs the protection it needs when we are gravity challenged and tend to fall on the regular. And finally fat can allow infants to properly develop their brain tissue and spinal cords-making it vital in human development.
Instead, the bag of chips you just hastily consumed was most likely high in saturated fats, which is known to increase your risk for heart disease. Although there is a slight chance that those chips may have included omega-6 fatty acids from the vegetable oil, you are still missing out on omega-3. There it is, that zinger, the word you love to hate as it appears on every nutritionists must have list. Mostly everyone and their grandma knows that they need omega-3s in their diet, but often not everyone knows why or where to find it.
Omega-3 Fatty acids are primarily found in leafy greens, flaxseeds, soy products, seafood and fish. The problem with consuming the non-fish options, is that our bodies have a very hard time converting the acids into EPA and DHA (two fatty acids that provide the most health benefits). However, fish sources already contain amounts of EPA and DHA, thus making it easier for our bodies to make us healthy. Having EPA and DHA in our diets has been shown to reduce our risk of heart disease and may even keep our brains working longer into old age.
In Canada, our guidelines suggest eating two servings of fish each week. For those that are instantly turned off at the thought of fish, 2 servings a week seems nearly impossible. But just think about all those health benefits you are missing! If you are a bit timid about adding fish into your weekly routine, try adding it just once a week.
Steelhead trout is a great option for beginners; it provides all aforementioned fatty acids and positive benefits, without having a strong fishy taste. Trout is fatty, flaky and mild in flavour, making it a delicious choice to showcase whatever sauce you fancy. Not to mention it is cheaper than salmon too!
The recipe below is quick and easy. Having the skin on, allows you to ensure the fish stays juicy while not burning it to a crisp. You will know when it is done if you can flake it with a fork. After you try this dish, I know you won’t be able to wait to add more fish to your diet.
[kindred-recipe id=”1670″ title=”Soy Steelhead with Noodles”]