I grew up spending summer weekends in Wisconsin where my family would participate in a regional Friday night tradition – the fish fry. The fish of choice were haddock and lake trout. Looking back now those seem like strangely innocent days – back before we had any idea that mercury and other toxins might be lurking inside one of our favorite weekend meals.
Today the supermarket’s seafood aisle can be a bit of an intimidating place for pregnant women and parents who have read advisories about mercury, PCBs and the environmental impact of over-fishing of certain species.
The nutritional benefits of eating fish are hard to ignore. Most types of fish are full of quality proteins, low in saturated fat and high in omega-3 fatty acids – which are especially important for brain development. This month (September 2008) the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study from more than 25,000 children in Denmark showing that the children of mothers who ate more fish during pregnancy had higher motor and cognitive development scores at 6 and 18 months of age. Breastfeeding was also independently associated with better developmental outcomes. The confusing part is that previous studies have shown that mercury toxins have the opposite effect on child development.
So what’s a parent to do?
Do try to serve your family fish at least 2 times per week. Starting at 6 months, children can safely consume a wide variety of fish. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offer these three “rules” for healthy fish consumption by pregnant or lactating women and small children:
- Do not eat Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or Tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.
- Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury. - Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish. - Albacore ("white") tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. So, when choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week.
- Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. If no advice is available, eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don't consume any other fish during that week.
There are several great resources available to help you make wise choices in the supermarket seafood department.
- National Geographic’s Green Guide offers a printable wallet card that labels fish as “No”, “Sometimes” and Yes” in regards to their toxin level and environmental impact
- The Blue Ocean Institute offers a “fish phone” service where you can text 30644 with the message FISH and the name of the fish in question and they will send back an assessment with recommendations for safe environmentally-friendly alternatives. You can download the full Blue Ocean Guide to Ocean Friendly Seafood directly to your PDA or mobile device. They also have a nice printable wallet guide in PDF format.
- Links to online guides for purchasing sustainable seafood in other regions of the world can be found on the World Wildlife Federation site.
- Get good advice the old fashioned way – ask the friendly face behind your local seafood counter. More and more supermarket chains are providing information about seafood toxins right at the point of sale.
Once you’ve made a wise fish purchase another looming question remains – how do you ensure your family will actually eat it? Fish is quick to cook and can make a simple weeknight family meal. Here are some tips for promoting fish consumption in your family.
- Lead by example. If you won’t eat the fish; they won’t either.
- Start with a mild tasting fish like tilapia or halibut. Salmon has a relatively strong taste and should be worked up to.
- Buy fresh fish. The fresher it is, the better (and less “fishy”) it will taste.
- Find some good recipes with kid-friendly flavors. Ask your friends and family for their favorite fish recipes or check-out recommendations on online recipe sites. Baking fish in a sauce made with tomatoes or sticking it inside fish tacos is a good way to start.
- Fish sticks with a dipping sauce are an old standby in the kid-friendly department. Choose ready-make fish sticks wisely - many are highly processed and use fish farmed in environmentally destructive ways . Henry and Lisa’s is one brand I know of that is prepared with environmentally friendly fish. You can also make your own – check out these recipes.
