When in Doubt, Choose Wild
Enjoy fish with a healthy heart and a clean conscience!
Fish not only tastes good but also provides you a host of health benefits. Just consider the fact that fish is low-calorie, low-cholesterol, and low-fat, and can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Not to mention, eating fish during pregnancy promotes fetal brain development. Eating more fish, then, is a no-brainer (pun not intended!)
Even health experts recommend that the average American should eat more fish, at least 8 ounces a week, especially sardine, lake trout, salmon, and tuna. But whether one should eat farmed fish or wild-caught fish is a question on most peoples’ mind. If you are finding it hard to choose between farmed or wild fish, here are some strong reasons to choose the latter.
Firstly, consider the ethical question. Farmed fish is produced just like farmed meat. The fish live in controlled environments that are not always pleasant, and they are raised in water that contains pesticides as well as antibiotics. On the other hand, wild fish live in their natural habitats.
Secondly, the variety of fish mentioned above and various others are great sources of Omega-3 fatty acids (remember not all “fat” is bad)! However, eating wild caught fish means consuming even less fat than if you have farm-raised varieties. This is because farm-raised fish live in cages or pens and hence their movement is restricted. Wild fish on the contrary are left to swim freely (duh!) and hence they don’t have as much fat as farm-raised fish.
And thirdly, eating fish that grows on pesticides and antibiotics means feeding toxins and chemicals to your body. Critics might say that all water is contaminated to some extent due to industrial waste and general pollution. Nonetheless it is still a safe bet to eat fish that has been raised naturally.
So there you go – three solid reasons why wild caught fish is better. You don’t, however, have to be a fisherman to enjoy fresh, natural catch. Wild-caught fish is available at your local food store and perhaps at your favorite diner as well.
Fatima M.
Freelance Blogger
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