Priscila Rego
Contributing Writer
Growing up with a Family that comes from Spain, I learned to love eating Seafood, it’s so fresh. There is something about food that comes from the Ocean; it just tastes so rich and delicious. Salmon per say is probably my favorite Fish to eat, if you bake is at the right temperature it melts like butter.
Seafood is packed with ingredients that are low in calories and have many health related benefits. Seafood has less fat content than other protein derived foods; therefore, if you are trying to adapt a vegetarian diet or low calorie diet, I suggest starting here.
It’s much easier to transition to a vegetarian or vegan diet if you first adapt a Pescatarian Diet.
What is Pescatarian?
A Pescatarian is someone who doesn’t eat meat, but does eat fish. The term was coined in the early 1990’s and is a combination of the Italian word for fish “pesce” and the words “vegetarian”.
This diet is largely plant-based including whole grains, nuts, legumes, produce and healthy fats.
Some diets tend to focus a lot of fats and it ends up having a side effect in your body, the pescatarian diet, usually tends to be more lenient and healthier for the body.
Why is it good?
Salmon – It’s packed with Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Omega-3 is only found in seafood and cannot be retained eating red meat.
Why Is Omega-3 so important? It helps fight depression and anxiety if supplemented on a daily basis. It improves your eye and brain health; studies have shown that consuming Omega-3 fatty acids improve your memory, communications skills and increase your intelligence skills.
It also has a positive impact on your blood pressure, blood clots and inflammation. Omega-3 also reduces symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome
Spinach– Spinach actually originated in Persia, but now is mostly produced in the US.
Eating Spinach can increase eye health, reduce oxidative stress and prevent cancer.
It’s packed with Vitamin A, C, K1, Folic Acid, Iron and Calcium. If you have low iron levels, eating spinach helps!
Carrots- They are packed with Vitamin A, Biotin, Vitamin K1, B6 and Potassium. Carrots are well known for helping your vision and lowering blood pressure due to the Beta-Carotene.
It is a great substitute for potatoes if you are trying to cut down on carbs.
Calories in one serving: 590
Calories in total: 1,180
Recipe – this recipe serves two
Skewers
1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
10 springs of Parsley
5 small mint leaves
4 garlic cloves chopped
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. of Olive Oil
1lb Salmon Fillet
Begin by brushing a bit of olive oil on the Salmon. Chop all herbs together with the garlic, mix with the mustard and oil and crust the salmon fillet. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes; raise the temperature to 400F and bake for an extra 10 minutes.
Carrots
1 trader Joes Carrots Bag
Pinch of salt
½ tbsp. of Olive oil
Add Carrots to the baking sheet and bake with Salmon. If you would like to cut your own carrots, add about 10 thyme springs to them and bake.
Spinach
1 bag of Spinach
1 tbsp. of Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves chopped
Sautee Garlic with Olive oil till garlic has turned a caramel color and add spinach bag. Toss till the Spinach considerable shrinks in size, add salt and serve.
Cheers! I hope you guys enjoyed this melt in your mouth lean dinner. I
absolutely love the flavor of Mustard and herbs with Salmon
regopr9@mail.broward.edu
Photo: Herb crusted salmon, spinach and carrots. Priscila Rego/The Observer