13 Coastal Recipes & the Benefits of Seafood

There are so many fish in the sea, and they have many benefits for our health!

Rich in many essential vitamins, minerals, omega-3s, and low in saturated fats, seafood can be a key player in a nourished and balanced diet– especially when it comes to improving and maintaining cardiovascular and brain health.

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits:

Heart Health: Rich in Omega-3s and Zinc, seafood maintains the healthy formation of cell membranes in the cardiovascular system.

Seafood for the heart: Salmon, sardines, trout, mackerel, oysters, mussels, sablefish & black cod.

Brain Health: The fatty acids (Omega-3s), Copper and B-complex vitamins found in the sea are responsible for helping enzymes in the body to do their jobs properly and provide healthy function to our brains.

Seafood for brain health: Fatty fish such as salmon, trout, herring and sardines.

Hormone Health: Iodine helps to make thyroid hormones which control metabolism, heart rate and more. Selenium and Zinc, also found in sea foods, assists with thyroid hormones, balancing energy and metabolism.

Seafood for hormone health: Clams, mussels, salmon, scallops, cod, shrimp & sardines.

Immune Function: Zinc, vitamin D, vitamin A found in seafood, are main components to a healthy immune system and healthy production of red blood cells.

Seafood for a healthy immune system: Crab, clams, mussels, shrimp, halibut, sockeye salmon, rockfish and sea cucumber.

More affordable than other meats and poultry, seafood is clearly a great option in a diet for optimal health in many areas. It is important, however, to source it sustainably as the ocean is one of the most damaged areas from climate change, habitat loss and overfishing. It is best to source from vendors who are certified as sustainable.