| in the kitchen
DIVE INTO
FISH Registered dietitian demystifies cooking seafood at home. | BY LEIGHA MESSNER
A
s native-born Floridians go, I am an anomaly. I did not like seafood until I was 25 years old. I dramatically suffered through family dinners and college sushi nights with friends, and even pretended to like oysters on my first date with my now husband — thank goodness for horseradish! I have since come to love most seafood just as much as I appreciate the waters they call home. Being high in essential vitamins, minerals, protein and omega-3 fatty acids, a diet high in seafood has been linked to reduced risks of chronic disease, improved cardiovas-
cular and brain health and enhanced neurological development in infants and children. Emerging evidence even links lower risk of depression with fish consumption. For vegetarian or vegan diets, some plant-based options have caught up with improving nutritional content of seafood substitutions by adding blends of omega-3 fatty acids. While it is recommended that adults consume two servings of seafood a week by the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, seafood consumption leads to increased risk of exposure to mercury. You are probably aware by now of the health concerns linked to mercury contamination. Mercury, found naturally in soil and as a byproduct of pollution, is converted by bacteria to the
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