Salmon - the Benefits, Controversies, and an Easy Recipe

Salmon can be an extremely nutritious food, and incorporating salmon into your meals two to three times a week can have wide and lasting health benefits. Most obviously, salmon is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which is crucial in preventing many of today's common diseases due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Omega-3 is vital to our bodily functions, and most people do not consume enough of this important nutrient. In addition to Omega-3, salmon is a good source of vitamin D, selenium, protein, amino acids, phosphorus, magnesium, and some B vitamins. We recommend you read this article about salmon on The World's Healthiest Foods website.

What many people do not realize is there is a big difference between farm-raised salmon and wild-caught salmon. Generally, wild-caught salmon is better for our bodies because it has fewer contaminants associated with the farming of fish and is more nutrient-dense. Although not alike, we think of this difference as we do organic versus non-organic produce and animal products; you still get some of the benefits of the food but perhaps not as many or along with some harmful byproducts of the way in which it was produced. However, off shore methods of catching the wild fish are considered controversial.

So what is a "holistic" person to do? How do you choose what is best for you, your family, and the environment? Like anything else, educate yourself, be aware of your options, and use the resources available to you to make the best decisions you can. We like this article from Rodale which points out some pros and cons and makes suggestions for various types of fish that should be farmed or wild-caught.

Another feature of salmon that we love is there are multitudinous ways to prepare it for enjoyable consumption.  We chose the Honey Dijon Salmon recipe to share this Tasty Tuesday because it is easy, very quick, and a family favorite.  We suggest pairing it with steamed veggies and a baked traditional or sweet potato (or try our Butternut Squash Fries).

Honey Dijon Salmon

 

4 pieces of fresh or thawed frozen wild-caught salmon

1/4 cup dijon mustard

1/4 cup honey*

salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

 

Turn your oven on broil.  Mix the dijon mustard and honey in a bowl.  Place the salmon on a foil lined baking sheet (the foil allows for a very easy clean up).  Sprinkle the salmon with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.  Spoon 2 tablespoons of the mustard/honey mixture on each piece of salmon making sure to cover the whole top surface of the salmon.  Broil for about 8 minutes depending on the thickness of your salmon.

*We would like to add a note about cooking with honey.  Recently we mentioned in a comment on our Crockpot Vanilla Yogurt recipe that substituting honey as a sweetener may not be a good idea because heat can change the structure of honey, causing it to become toxic.  However, honey is widely used in lots of popular recipes, and many of us eat cooked honey regularly (not that this fact necessarily means that it is safe).  Whether or not to eat cooked honey is another issue that deserves your attention and applies to our suggestion that you educate yourself and make the best decisions you can.  This blog has a short comment about cooking with honey from one person's perspective.