Smart Supermarket Seafood Shopping

When it comes to planning your meals, it’s hard to beat seafood as a nutritional powerhouse. Seafood is rich in protein and other important nutrients. Prepared right – without frying, breading, tubs of butter or caloric sauces – it delivers these nutritional benefits without a lot of calories. Many varieties also contain heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

“Fish is an excellent entre choice, extremely versatile and quick to prepare,” says Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, director of Tufts’ HNRCA Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory.

Even consuming fish relatively low in omega-3s, like the tilapia or cod found in so many supermarket fish counters, has a significant nutritional upside. Simply eating a meal built around high-protein, low-calorie fish instead of cheeseburgers, pizza or other typical American fare represents a positive tradeoff.

WASTE NOT: Given the myriad health benefits associated with eating seafood, why don’t American eat more of it? We average only about 14 pounds of seafood per capita annually, compared to 90 pounds a year per Spaniard and 120 pounds a year each in Japan. A recent USDA Agricultural Research Service study of data from a national nutrition survey concluded that 80-90% of Americans fail to consume the recommended two servings of seafood each week.

Even when Americans do buy seafood, we too often wind up throwing it away instead of eating it. According to research by the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, between 2009 and 2013, as much as 47% of all the edible seafood in the US went to waste. Although some of that waste can be blamed on “bycatch” – unintended consequences of large fishing nets – the majority winds up in consumer garbage cans. Total seafood waste is estimated at 2.3 billion pounds a year.

SEEKING SUSTAINABILITY: This waste is especially unfortunate given concerns about seafood and sustainability. According to the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program <www.oceanwise.ca>, global consumption of seafood has doubled since the 1970s, with approximately 158 million tons of seafood harvested worldwide every year. That’s good news for global nutrition, but puts many seafood species and fisheries at risk. An estimated 90% of all large fish have already been harvested from the world’s oceans since the inception of industrialized fishing. One recent scientific study predicted, without major changes, a worldwide ocean fisheries collapse by 2048.

If you’re worried about sustainability, however, there’s no reason to stop eating seafood. Ocean Wise can, as they put it, help you choose species “caught or farmed in a way that ensures the long-term health and stability of that species, as well as the greater marine ecosystem.” Other such resources include the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch <www.seafoodwatch.org>, the Environmental Defense Fund’s Seafood Selector <seafood.edf.org> and the Environmental Working Group’s Seafood Calculator <www.ewg.org/research/ewg-s-consumer-guide-seafood/seafood-calculator>. Both aquarium programs even have apps that can turn your smartphone into sustainable-shopping tools. Note that these sources may conflict about what’s most “sustainable,” and may change over time.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fish Watch site <www.fishwatch.gov> also maintains a database on seafood sustainability. The Environmental Protection Agency has advice on contaminants such as mercury <www.epa.gov/choose-fish-and-shellfish-wisely>.

FACTORY FISH?: Unfortunately for efforts to get Americans to eat more seafood, many recipes specify species that are seasonal and, even when available, not found outside fish markets in large coastal cities. Some nutritional recommendations fall into the same trap: When was the last time you saw fresh mackerel or bluefish, two species high in omega-3s, on ice at your local SuperShopper grocery store?

Instead, you’re more likely to find fish such as tilapia, a once-obscure species native to Africa that’s the most popular farmed fish in the US. Americans eat nearly 500 million pounds of this “factory fish” – sometimes derisively called “aquatic chicken” – annually, quadruple the amount a decade ago. According to recently updated recommendations from Seafood Watch, tilapia is among the best choices for sustainability (especially fish from the US, Canada and South America).

In a letter to the New York Times responding to a snarky article about this “factory fish,” Tufts’ Lichtenstein defended tilapia: “Fish offers heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and is low in calories and saturated fat. Tilapia happens to be lower in fat than some other fish, so it has less of all types of fatty acids, including omega-3. Tilapia is, however, more affordable than most other fish in the market today.

“Splitting hairs over whether one fish has less omega-3 fatty acids per serving than other types of fish when the total fat content is low seems to miss the point,” Lichtenstein continued. “Let’s get people eating more fish, and then worry about fine-tuning either the fish’s diet or our diet to edge up the omega-3 content.”

With that in mind, we serve up a nutrition-savvy guide to 13 species of fish you’re as likely to find in Dubuque or Boise as in the fish markets Tufts experts enjoy here in Boston. The world may be home to more than 27,000 types of fish, but these few species dominate America’s supermarkets:

Catfish: If you grew up thinking of catfish as “muddy”-flavored bottom-feeders, it’s time to discover the sweet-tasting farmed catfish that now dominate US supermarkets, second only to tilapia in aquaculture popularity. A lean fish, catfish is low in calories and contains only a modest amount of omega-3s. Choose fresh or frozen, and look for white to off-white fillets. Seafood Watch rates farmed and wild-caught catfish a “best” choice except for imports from Vietnam.

Cod: Wild cod is available year-round; small, young fish may also be called “scrod” (a term also applied to haddock). Flaky and mild in flavor, it’s versatile and can be used in any recipe calling for mild whitefish. It’s another lean choice, very low in calories and with only a modest amount of omega-3s. Sustainability scores vary widely, from “best” (most Pacific cod) to “avoid” (most Atlantic cod); check websites and read labels closely as you shop.

Flounder: Another bottom-dweller, flounder nonetheless has sweet, delicate flesh that rewards gentle cooking. It’s also sold as “sole” or “lemon sole” or “fluke.” (North America has no true sole; only pricey imported “Dover sole” is actually sole.) It’s another lean, low-calorie choice with a modest amount of omega-3s. Most flounder is a sustainable choice, but not all – check the sites listed previously to make sure.

Haddock: Related to cod, haddock has firm, mild flesh suitable for a variety of preparations. It’s a popular choice for frying in fish and chips, but studies have shown that fried and breaded fish aren’t associated with the same health benefits as other types. Prepared without breading, haddock is low in calories, with a modest amount of omega-3s. It’s generally a less-sustainable choice, though fish from the US Georges Bank is rated a “good” choice.

Halibut: A large, flat fish, halibut comes as mild, meaty “steaks,” preferably with almost translucent white flesh. Lower in fat than other steak-style fish, halibut can easily be overcooked but can be (carefully) baked, poached or cooked on skewers. Yet another lean fish, halibut also ranks as only a modest source of omega-3s. Halibut is similar to turbot, and may be sold as “Greenland turbot.” Fresh halibut is available year-round but most abundant from March to September. It’s a less-sustainable choice than other species, but check the websites listed previously for “good” buying options.

Mahi mahi: Also called “dorado” or “dolphinfish” (but unrelated to the dolphin, which is a mammal), this Hawaiian favorite is increasingly available in mainland supermarkets. Bought as steaks or fillets, mahi mahi has firm white flesh and is best prepared simply, such as broiled or grilled. It’s similar to halibut in calorie and omega-3 content. Seafood Watch rates mahi mahi from US Atlantic fishing a “best” choice, followed by US Pacific and Ecuador catches; avoid fish from Guatemala, Costa Rica and Peru.

Pollock: The fish you get in imitation crab products (“surimi”) is usually pollock, a member of the cod family. But you can also buy pollock as fillets or steaks, fresh or frozen, sold under a befuddling variety of names including “blue cod,” “blue snapper,” “Boston bluefish,” “coalfish” and “saithe.” Its flesh is firm, delicate and slightly sweet and can be substituted in recipes for cod. Although low in calories, it’s a better source of omega-3s than other lean white fish. Seafood Watch rates pollock a “good” choice except for pollock caught in Canada’s Maritimes with gill nets and entangling nets or trawls.

Salmon: The health benefits of this omega-3-rich fish – and the confusing varieties of salmon available at various seasons – merit an article all their own: See our June 2014 Special Report for everything you need to know about buying and preparing salmon. Don’t forget that salmon is also available canned (see: What About Canned?). Nutrition numbers vary by species, with higher levels of omega-3s in farmed Atlantic salmon (the most common supermarket choice) than in wild-caught varieties such as sockeye. Salmon has more calories than most fish because of those healthy omega-3 fats, but the benefits are well worth it.

The sustainability and environmental questions about buying salmon are equally complicated. Seafood Watch summarizes: “Most ‘Best Choice’ salmon is wild and, usually, from Alaska, but there are other great farmed and wild options.” Some options have environmental issues, however.