Go, fish! Eating seafood is good for you

Did you know that October is National Seafood Month? It’s a fact that eating seafood can enhance your health. As recommended by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, eating a 4-ounce serving of seafood twice a week supports your overall health and moderate evidence shows that consumption of seafood can assist with the prevention of heart disease. Currently, only one in five Americans eat the recommended servings ‑ possibly because they are unfamiliar with how to select, buy or order and cook seafood.

The Seafood Nutrition Partnership, a national nonprofit whose mission is to raise awareness about the nutritional benefits of eating seafood, has found that women ages 35 to 50 like seafood and see it as special. Not only are they curious about it, they also would like to find ways to include it in their diets more often. However, they say they often don’t know where to find it and do not have the cues to remember to eat it.

In celebration of National Seafood Month, restaurateurs can feature familiar items on their menus with a focus on seafood. According to the National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot in 2014 chef survey, locally-sourced meat and seafood was the No. 1 menu trend. In addition to sustainable seafood items, fish tacos, sushi, nontraditional fish, including Arctic char, barramundi and branzino, as well as paella and ceviche, are gaining in popularity. Encourage your customers to do something good for themselves and their families: eat more seafood. You will help guide them toward increased healthfulness and better nutrition.

For more nutrition information about seafood and recipe ideas, visit SeafoodNutrition.org.

Guest blogger Linda Cornish is executive director for the Seafood Nutrition Partnership, an organization focused on inspiring a healthier America through partnerships that raise awareness about the essential nutritional benefits of eating seafood. For more information, visit http://www.seafoodnutrition.org.