I've taken a page from Ian's book and started having canned fish as a mid morning snack, I'm really enjoying it. There are lots of varieties. I'm mostly stuck on tuna, because it is all I know. But I picked up some salmon, crab and one other to try out. Can't beat it for convenience!
Thanks Ian for starting a great thread, like most the canned tuna (and smoked oysters) were all I ate as far as canned fish, DH regularly eats fish steaks, sardines, that sort of thing, so I started eating those once in awhile, he even got me to eat that squid in ink, it was excellent with rice and mussels.
We've been eating more frozen fish as well, tilapia, cod, pretty much we only eat meats on the weekend lately and have been losing at a nice slow pace, whereas for quite awhile I was stuck at about 10 pounds heavier.
Anyway, as usually happens, I found Kaplods post very interesting. It is funny how it's ok if you only eat hamburger and bacon that's accepted but if you only eat fish or vegetables you can't be eating healthy... Thanks for the suggestion to try the Asian market for different varieties.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand, I always thought smoked oysters were an indulgence and high calorie, but a whole tin is really not that bad, years ago when I did the exchange plan with WW I ate more fish because it was 2oz. fish to 1 oz. meat, I think sausage was 2x the opposite way so naturally I ate less of that.
I'm a big believer in trying new things, so I'm going to try some different fishies and different sauces and see what I like.
Thanks and so much great information. I did not realize there would be so much interest. And thanks for the tips ReNew Me.
I like canned fish because fresh or frozen fish is a hassle to store and prepare. Cans keep for years, are cooked and already portioned out. And the nutrition facts are on the side of the can!
Cost is a bit of a factor but I do splurge on the gourmet stuff so I am not going cheap. But less wastage is a definite plus.
I do try to eat the lower calorie canned varieties though so am wary of stuff in sauces. I buy in water or own juices if I can and olive oil if I cannot.
Yesterday I took a delivery of a case of Ekone Smoked Oysters and Ekone Smoked Sturgeon. Today, I should have 14 cans of Crown Princes Natural Smoked oysters with chilli arriving.
I don't see what bacon or hamburgers has to do with this at all. Beyond an occasional tuna sandwich it salad, some anchovies in a dressing or sauce, that's as fat as I go. They definitely have their place in a healthy diet. I find the idea of eating several cans of fish per day kind of repulsive and only eat fish once or twice a week usually sushi or fresh broiled fish at home. I wouldn't eat canned tuna everyday any more than I'd eat bacon everyday.
I don't associate it with poverty, buy its a palette buster for me. I'd rather splurge on fresh food and I'm not rich by any means. In Ian's case judging from past threads this is kind of an obsession. A diet that consists of this much canned food and beer is not my aspiration of healthy. One can lose weight on any diet, doesn't mean it's healthy.
There are some interesting other benefits and costs though:
Benefits...
1) my hair looks great. I don't need to use shampoo any more. I just get in the shower and go.
2) my eyes look amazing. The whites are better.
3) skin. Less wrinkles and pimples. Acne has gone.
4) head. I can read stuff at work now. And concentrate better.
Costs...
1) smell, bathroom (see earlier posts).
2) skin. I know I said this was a benefit, but I am more prone to cracked skin on my hands. Weird. But I swear it's the fish and specifically the anchovies.
You may be onto something, one weird change I noticed this year was my skin cracking on my hands, most specifically around my fingernails. Never happened to me before and nothing changed but fish consumption. Huh.
At the risk of TMI I can tell what I've been eating recently based on how I sweat - onions and garlic are big telltale stinkers - and if I eat enough tuna I'll notice a hint of that, too!
krampus I notice it when I eat whiting fish ... it's really bad.
I also prefer fresh fish. We have an extra freezer, so storage is not an issue. Here in Northern NY fish tends to be a bit pricey. Last week I totally scored when they had fresh Mahi Mahi for $4.99/ lb!!
If you want some gourmet canned fish cheaper than usual price, try Marshalls, TJ Maxx or Homegoods. That's where I buy for hubby.
Asian markets are usually even cheaper, with a much larger variety and selection. The USA has strict import standards and Thailand's food safety standards are just as strict (if not more so, especially in regards to fish).
Asians in general, and Asian-Americans in particular, tend to be very choosy about their fish, so the quality in Asian market canned fish is generally excellent. Most of the labels (where I have shopped, anyway) are written in multiple languages, almost always including English.
Just as with American-canned foods, you do need to read the label for ingredients you wish to avoid, but I've found that the asian brands, especially from Thailand are of better quality and flavor than American "gourmet" brands. You get gourmet quality exotic seafood for the price of cheap, chunk tuna.
As to those that come in sauces, there are many low-fat, low-carb, and low-calorie options. One of my favorites is sardines in tom yum sauce (a low-fat, low-calorie, water-based hot and sour marinade) and another is sardines with pickle flavor (which is nothing like you'd expect. I expected it to be sour, but it's really not, just mildly spicy. I's packed with a carrot and jalapeno slice).
Chili sauces can sometimes be sweet (so if you're watching carbs, read the label to make sure it fits into your carb and calorie budget), but many varieties are low-fat, low-carb, and low-calorie.
Barbecued eel is very yummy, but finding a brand that isn't extremely high in sugar is a bit challenging, but not impossible.
Same with the fish in curry sauces, some are high in fat and/or sugar, and some are not. Sometimes the fish are fried before canning, so again you have to read labels.
Overall though, the variety, price, quality, and flavor in Asian market canned seafood is exceptional, both in imported varieties and in American-made seafood marketed to Asian-Americans.
The same is true of frozen fish in Asian groceries. However, if you're not a fan of fish with many small bones, be aware that in general, Asian people are far more concerned with flavor and quality than "boniness." I tend to agree that eating carefully (using your fingers if necessary) is a small price to pay for really good fish.
There are FDA guidelines for safe consumption amounts for canned fish. Watch out for in safe levels of mercury.
The guidelines and mercury levels have to do with the kind of fish, not the canning process. Mercury levels are cumulative, so in general, the fatter, larger, and older the fish, the more mercury ( whether fesh, frozen, or canned).
It's they type of fish you need to consider, not the fact of them being canned or not.
The smaller, younger, and lower on the food chain, the lower the mercury levels. That's why sardine, smelt, and kippers are such great choices.
I do like canned crab from Thailand. That is a real delight. Easily on a par with Dungeness which I also love.
Arctic Mama, yeah the skin splitting is nasty. Mine is also around my nails and specifically down my finger tips/thumb tips. I have about four at the moment and it hurts to type! Super glue worked well to fix them (!) but products such as new-skin seem to be the health-preferred solution. I had assumed mine were from filleting and rinsing 10 salted anchovies every night but (assuming you do not do this!), it could be the fish itself. Or just the weather.
I went grocery shopping today so got to the fresh fish counter. It's nearly spring so they had some shad roe available which I had never tried before.
It was 13 bucks but I bought some and fried it up to have with my salad. Delish!
Speaking of Thailand, I fly to Bangkok tomorrow for work. I am there a few days before visiting Myanmar. In Thailand I fully expect to eat fresh fish and work out as much as I can. That should be a good test for the skin splits to see if they get any better.
Trigger alert. This place looks awesome. I am going to try to eat there every day.
