Recipes

What A Catch: Seafood Benefits Your Health

Posted: 12/21/2011

Easy seafood recipes are included in Robin Miller’s new cookbook, “Robin Takes 5.”

(NAPSI)—Here’s food for thought: Research shows that eating a variety of cooked seafood two to three times each week has healthy benefits throughout life. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are encouraged to eat more seafood because it boosts their babies’ brain development. For adults, eating the recommended amount of seafood helps protect against the No. 1 cause of death: heart disease. However, Americans, especially pregnant women, are not eating enough seafood. In fact, most people should at least double the amount of seafood they eat to meet the recommended amounts for the best possible health.

Recently, the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations released a report that looked at the effects of eating or not eating seafood. The report said if pregnant and breastfeeding women don’t eat plenty of seafood, their babies might miss out on the best possible brain development. A low-seafood diet can also increase the risk of dying from heart disease. The U.S. government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that all adults, including pregnant women, eat more seafood.

“Many studies have shown that seafood provides great health benefits in adults, such as reduced risk for heart disease,” said Dr. J. Thomas Brenna, Ph.D., professor of human nutrition at Cornell University. “It is particularly important for women to eat seafood during pregnancy to provide their developing babies with crucial nutrients. In fact, limiting or avoiding seafood when you’re pregnant can result in slower eye and brain development.”

These recommendations are based on the findings from hundreds of scientific studies and are supported by leading nutrition, public health and medical experts. But what the reports don’t do much of is tell Americans how to make this change and add more seafood to their diet. The good news is that there are easy ways to eat more seafood.

Chef and nutritionist Robin Miller, who is also the host of Food Network’s “Quick Fix Meals” and a best-selling author, agrees. “There are many easy, tasty ways that people can incorporate seafood into their diets,” says Miller. “One of my favorite seafood options is canned tuna or tuna in a pouch, as it is affordable and can be used to make a quick, low-calorie meal easily prepared at home.”

Miller’s new cookbook, “Robin Takes 5,” includes 500 recipes each with five ingredients or fewer and with 500 calories or less per serving. Robin recommends many different types of protein, and seafood is a key ingredient in many of the recipes, such as this one:

Tuna Pasta Salad with Roasted Red Peppers

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

12 ounces spiral pasta

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

8 ounces light tuna in water (preferably from the pouch)

1 cup diced roasted red peppers

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise and mustard and add to the pasta. Stir to coat. Fold in the tuna and roasted peppers. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To add more seafood to your diet and get its health benefits, try these tips:

• Swap Proteins—Replace the usual protein (such as beef or chicken) in your favorite recipes with seafood for a tasty twist. For example, try tuna in your tacos instead of beef.

• Incorporate Small Bites—Seafood doesn’t need to be your main dish; it can be part of snacks, appetizers, even breakfast. Try salmon on your bagel or crabmeat in your quiche.

• Go for Convenience—Busy people need quick solutions and seafood is full of nutrients, whether it is fresh, frozen or canned. So choose a convenient option that fits your lifestyle.

For additional recipes and tips about incorporating seafood into your diet, visit www.RobinTakes5.com and www.aboutseafood.com.