The New Complete Book of Food



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r Fish

See also Shellfish, Squid.

Nutritional Profile

Energy value (calories per serving): Moderate

Protein: High

Fat: Low to moderate

Saturated fat: Low to moderate

Cholesterol: Moderate

Carbohydrates: Low

Fiber: None

Sodium: Low (fresh fish)

High (some canned or salted fish)

Major vitamin contribution: Vitamin A, vitamin D

Major mineral contribution: Iodine, selenium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, calcium

About the Nutrients in This Food

Like meat, poultry, milk, and eggs, fish are an excellent source of high-

quality proteins with sufficient amount of all the essential amino acids.

While some fish have as much or more fat per serving than some

meats, the fat content of fish is always lower in saturated fat and higher in

unsaturated fats. For example, 100 g/3.5 ounce cooked pink salmon (a fatty

fish) has 4.4 g total fat, but only 0.7 g saturated fat, 1.2 g monounsaturated

fat, and 1.7 g polyunsaturated fat; 100 g/3.5 ounce lean top sirloin has four

grams fat but twice as much saturated fat (1.5 g), plus 1.6 g monounsatu-

rated fat and only 0.2 g polyunsaturated fat.

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Content of Various Fish

Fish Grams/ounce

Atlantic mackerel 0.61

Chinook salmon (fresh) 0.60

Pink salmon 0.55

Coho salmon, canned 0.45

Sockeye salmon 0.45

Sardines 0.32