Everyone who lived under socialism remembers the immutable rule of any canteen: “Thursday is fish day.” On this day from the menu of all points Catering, with the exception of restaurants, disappeared meat dishes, their place was taken by fish.

For the first time, the decision that citizens should be fed fish once a week was made in 1932. The reason was banal - after Stalin’s industrialization, there was not enough meat in the country. However, for a long time fish days didn't last. After the war, they were forgotten for a while - during the hungry years, not only fish, but sometimes even bread could not be found in the canteens.

In 1976, the Party Central Committee issued a new decree on the “introduction of a fish day” - meat shortages began again in the country, and it was also necessary to support the fishing industry. This time, Thursday was firmly assigned to fish. In Soviet times, decisions were rarely made on the spur of the moment. And a clear justification was given for the fact that it is necessary to eat fish soups and cutlets on Thursdays. The fact is that replacing meat with fish balls, to put it mildly, did not cause a storm of enthusiasm among the population. And Thursday, according to statistics, is the calmest day of the week. Most of the workdays have passed, Friday is ahead, so dissatisfaction with the canteen menu is unlikely to significantly reduce worker productivity, as could happen if the government appointed a fish day, say, on Monday. As for Friday, productivity on this day was already significantly below normal due to the fact that many workers began to celebrate the end of the working week ahead of schedule.

With the advent of perestroika, the fishing days sank into oblivion. This made many people happy. But nutritionists believe that the tradition could be returned.

Fish is not meat!

Fish, like meat, is an excellent supplier necessary for the body animal proteins. However, unlike meat, fish protein contains less connective fiber, and therefore is easier to digest and digest faster. In addition, compared to meat, fish is lower in calories, and therefore it can be eaten without fear even by those who dream of parting with extra pounds. In general, fish protein is in no way inferior to meat protein - it contains the same essential amino acids, including taurine, which helps prevent cardiovascular and nervous diseases. Ocean fish, shrimp and squid are richest in taurine.

Another undoubted advantage of fish is a large number of useful fatty acids. Thanks to them, fish lovers, as a rule, have good eyesight, strong nerves, low level bad cholesterol, healthy heart, they are rarely found to have various tumor diseases, and they live longer than meat-eaters.

There are also enough vitamins under fish scales. There will be B vitamins there (they will prevent you from falling into autumn depression and improve the condition of the skin and hair), vitamin A (necessary for good vision), vitamin D (will save you from rickets in childhood and osteoporosis in old age), vitamin E (will protect you from unfavorable ecology and early aging).

And, of course, all representatives of the “fin” family contain a whole range of microelements. They contain phosphorus and fluorine, which will save you from unnecessary visits to the dentist, potassium normalizes blood pressure, selenium will strengthen the immune system and save you from frequent changes moods. It is difficult to unequivocally answer the question which fish, sea or river, is healthier. River milk is lower in calories and contains a lot of easily digestible protein. Whereas sea water contains more fatty acids. In addition, sea fish is also a wonderful source of iodine, without which normal metabolism, good performance and high intelligence are impossible.

Sturgeon second freshness

If the fish is not frozen, then it is very easy to determine its freshness - just smell the specimen you like. Fresh fish should smell like water, but a specific fishy smell is not the best sign. In addition, good fish have shiny scales and transparent eyes. If you buy a frozen product, the only thing you can do before the fish thaws is to see if there is any damage on the carcass.

Fresh fish can be stored for no more than two days, and frozen fish for no longer than two months. During long-term storage in frozen fish, the amount of vitamin A and group B decreases, which partially turn into water or fat. You can reduce losses by cooking the fish in its own juice or stewing it. But you shouldn’t refreeze the fish. There will be very few vitamins left, and the taste will not be the same.

Incredible

Fish lovers rarely go to jail. Surprising results were obtained in a study conducted in Mauritius. Scientists have found that children who eat a lot of fish from the age of three have a 64% increase in less chance go to jail. “Fish helps the brain produce chemical substances, which allow us to feel calmer, happier, and think clearly,” explains the author of this study.

No head needed. Unfortunately, the ecology of our planet is getting worse every year. The world's oceans are polluted by chemical waste that can accumulate in fish. The most dangerous in this regard are: exotic species fish like shark and swordfish, which lack scales. In addition, the larger the fish, the more toxins it may contain. So it makes sense to give preference to smaller specimens. But even small fish need to have their heads cut off and the fish thoroughly cleaned of scales.

By the way

Food for the heart. Some types of marine fish can protect us from dangers such as stroke and sudden death from cardiac arrest. Eating fish 5 times a week reduces the risk of stroke by 54%, two to four times a week by 27%, once a week by 22%, and three times a month by 7%.

Recipes

Pike perch with sauerkraut. 400 g pike perch fillet, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 4 tbsp. spoons vegetable oil, 350 g sauerkraut, 100 ml white wine, parsley, salt, pepper - to taste, leek - 1 pc.

Cut the onion into thin rings, carrots into small cubes. Heat 2 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil and stew the onion in it. Add sauerkraut and pour in the wine. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Cool slightly.

Cut the pike perch into portions, add salt and pepper. Heat the remaining oil and fry the fish until cooked.

Arrange the cabbage on plates, place the pike perch on top and serve, garnished with parsley.

Meatballs in tomato sauce. 800 g fish, 1 onion, 50 g white bread, 1 glass of milk, 3 tbsp. spoons of tomato paste, 2 tbsp. spoons of flour, salt, pepper - to taste.

Fillet cut into pieces along with white bread soaked in milk and onions mince twice. Season the softened minced meat butter, salt, pepper and mix thoroughly. Form small balls, roll in flour and place in a saucepan. Lightly fry in a frying pan with vegetable oil tomato paste, after 5 minutes, sprinkle with flour and fry for a few more minutes. Remove from heat, dilute hot water(half a glass). Pour the prepared sauce over the meatballs and bake in the oven. Place on a dish along with the sauce, sprinkle with chopped parsley.

How many times a week do you eat fish? Eating fish at least twice a week can help improve your health, including reducing your risk of heart attack. If you don't eat enough fish, read this article about why you should eat more fish.

Eating fish helps prevent heart disease and stroke. This is because fish, as well as shellfish and crustaceans, contain a special type of oil called omega-3, which helps keep arteries healthy. healthy condition. A heart attack or stroke is a consequence of blood clots blocking an artery. What are the benefits of omega-3 oil? - It prevents the formation of these clots. Among other things, it helps reduce blood pressure, and this is precisely why people who eat a lot of fish have significantly fewer heart attacks and strokes. Adults are recommended to include fish in their diet at least twice a week. Any fish is good for you, but some types of fish are especially high in omega-3 oil - salmon, tuna, herring, trout, cod, mackerel and mullet.

Fish is low in fat. Despite the fact that fish contains this important view oils, in general, fish is low in fat, and therefore it is useful for maintaining weight the right level. Most useful ways preparations: steamed fish, grilled or broiled fish, baked fish and fish cooked in microwave oven. You can, of course, cook fish with a small amount of vegetable oil - olive, canola or peanut, but fish baked in dough and deep-fried is very high in fat - the same applies to fish served in a rich white sauce . Fish pellets and fish fingers can also be high in fat.

Fish is good for diabetics. Because they have a high likelihood of heart disease and heart attacks, and fish helps prevent this. A diet that includes low-fat foods (such as fish) helps control diabetes.

Fish is good for bones. A large amount of calcium in the diet helps to keep bones healthy and non-fragile. This is especially important for women: after menopause, women have an increased risk of osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease. Some canned fish (such as sardines and salmon) and small fresh fish (such as fingerlings) contain soft bones that are easy to chew. Along with dairy products, these bones - good way increasing the amount of calcium in the diet.

Fish helps reduce the likelihood of asthma. There is some evidence that children who eat fish, especially fish high in oil, more than once a week have less asthma than children who rarely eat fish.

Consumption of fish does not necessarily hit your pocket. Some types of fresh fish are expensive, but there are also cheap types. Unlike meat and poultry, when cooking fish you do not need to trim off the fat, so there is less waste. Supermarkets have cheap frozen white fish fillets (without breadcrumbs or sauce).

Canned fish is inexpensive and can be eaten in salads and used in sandwiches. Canned salmon or tuna can be cooked with vegetables and served as a sauce for rice, noodles or pasta. Try to buy canned food where the fish is preserved not in oil, but in brine or spring water. If you buy fish preserved in oil, the oil should be carefully drained.

Although nutritionists assure that a product such as fish should be on the menu at least three times a week, it should be borne in mind that some types of fish, as well as methods of preparing it, can be harmful to health.

What's good about fish?

Fish is an excellent source of protein, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, which is why it often appears in the diet of athletes and people who care about their health. It contains a lot of potassium, sodium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, manganese, zinc, bromine, fluorine, cobalt and copper, which are used by the body for restoration and protection, and sea fish is also an important source of precious iodine.

This product is rich in vitamins A, B, D and E, it is absorbed much more better than meat and, unlike it, does not provoke the production of human body large quantity uric acid, which facilitates digestion. What else is fish good for?

Protects the heart and blood vessels.Recently, information has often been published about the value of Omega-3 fatty acids, an important component of fish, which is responsible for the health of the heart and blood vessels and prevents the development of heart attacks and strokes. Fish fat increases the level good cholesterol and helps reduce levels bad cholesterol and triglycerides.

Supports Bone Health. According to studies, older people who frequently eat fish maintain normal density. bone tissue, they are at lower risk of developing osteoporosis. It is believed that this effect is achieved by a combination various types fat from fish, especially Omega-3 fatty acids.

Prevents cancer. It has been proven that regular use Eating fish reduces the risk of colon and rectal cancer by as much as 12 percent. In addition, a diet in which this product is present prevents the formation malignant tumors reproductive organs. True, this effect disappears if the fish is fried at high temperatures and is grilled, as in this case carcinogenic substances are formed in it.

Reduces hyperactivity. It has been scientifically proven that attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity in a child are much less likely to occur if his mother ate fish during pregnancy. at least two times a week. But at the same time, you need to keep in mind that you should use more small species, which contain lower amounts of mercury, as otherwise the risk of attention deficit disorder increases.

Preserves vision. Research shows that regular consumption of omega-3 fatty acids from fish prevents age-related macular degeneration, a disease that causes progressive vision loss.

Supports brain functions . Omega-3 fatty acids play important role in the development of the cerebral cortex, improve memory and are necessary for everyone who is engaged in mental work, as well as for the prevention of depression and Alzheimer's disease.

Which fish is the healthiest?

In most types river fish contains much less Omega-3 fatty acids than sea water. Nevertheless, individual river inhabitants are very good sources these valuable nutrients, especially trout and silver carp, as well as catfish, carp and crayfish.

At the same time, experts still advise avoiding eating fatty river fish, such as crappies, and recommend opting for trout and perch. If we're talking about O sea ​​fish, That greatest number Omega-3 fatty acids are found in oily fish, for example in herring, salmon, mackerel, beluga, tuna, anchovies...

Tuna - yes or no?

IN last years The opinion is increasingly being voiced that human nutrition should be based on foods that his ancestors ate. In this case, canned food, including cans of tuna, should not be on the list of foods necessary for life and health.

However, with the constant lack of time in modern world, tuna meat is the perfect solution for a quick and nutritious meal. It is probably difficult to meet a person who has never enjoyed the taste of this fish. Nutritionists recommend tuna as an essential component of a balanced and healthy diet because it is rich in proteins and contains many other useful substances. But there is one unpleasant point: it is known that this fish contains a certain amount of mercury, which has a bad effect on the nerves and psyche, as well as on health in general.

True, according to the same nutritionists, almost all types of fish contain a certain percentage of mercury, and completely eliminating fish from the diet is clearly not a solution to the problem. Top tip experts say that you should eat tuna no more than once a week, and also avoid buying very large pieces of it. It is advisable that the menu include fish such as trout, which lives only in clean water.

Fish in the diet of pregnant women

Because some types of fish contain high levels of mercury (especially mackerel, swordfish, shark, pike and tuna), pregnant women are advised to be very careful with these foods.

A toxic metal like mercury is dangerous because it settles in the body and is eliminated over the next three months. It is able to penetrate the placenta and enter the baby’s blood, where its concentration is sometimes even higher than in the mother’s blood. This can be very dangerous, since the baby's brain is particularly sensitive to mercury, and since it continuously develops throughout the nine months in the womb, exposure to this metal is undesirable at any time during pregnancy.

Shrimp, light tuna and salmon contain the least amount of mercury. Small fish such as sardines and herring are also suitable for feeding pregnant women.

How to determine the freshness of fish?

Of course, the freshest fish is freshly caught. Therefore, when purchasing of this product pay attention to its smell, which should be pleasant and neutral. Look at the fish's eyes - they should be shiny and protruding, not cloudy and inflamed. The gills of fresh fish are red and moist (never dry, sticky, or grey-brown!). The skin is moist, undamaged and shiny, with scales tightly adjacent to the body.

The mucus should be evenly distributed throughout the fish, which, in turn, should literally “slip out of your hands.” When you press on fresh fish with your finger, there is no indentation left. When purchasing frozen fish, make sure that the package has not been opened or damaged and that there are no large ice crystals in it.

The Haug family replaced meat with fish: we never thought it would lead to such a big change.

How healthy is it to eat fish every day? The Haug family ate only fish for lunch for four weeks to see how it affected the body.

“The guys were skeptical about it, you can be sure,” smiles dad Stig Haug.

“I was not in the habit of eating fish”

NRK consumer inspectors have suggested that meat-loving families eat fish instead of meat for lunch for one month. Otherwise, they could live peacefully and eat everything they usually eat.

“We actually didn’t have the habit of eating fish. Everything is simple with meat, but what can you cook with fish? And we doubted whether we would be able to squeeze her into the boys at all,” says mother Bente Haug.

The couple and their children - sixteen-year-old Kristoffer, thirteen-year-old Henrik and ten-year-old Lasse - underwent a thorough health check before the experiment began. They measured their weight, blood pressure, body fat percentage and various blood parameters.

Minus 14 kg

After four weeks of eating fish, they were ready for another health check and it showed that the family as a whole had lost 14kg.

All family members also had a decrease in negative cholesterol and a decrease in the content of sugar and fatty substances in the blood. Arterial pressure and the fat percentage has become significantly better.

Context

Why are we so fat?

The Trumpet 05/12/2016

Sugar, fat and salt are ticking time bombs

Slate.fr 10/19/2014

WHO sounds the alarm: the world's population is swimming in fat

UN News 07/12/2014

Multimedia

Mashable 05/15/2015
Bente and Stig used to have so-called “dangerous” belly fat and have now lost a significant portion of it. It is dangerous because it envelops the intestines and remains in the abdominal cavity.

Before the experiment began, Stig had a girth of 120 centimeters. After four weeks, when there was only fish for lunch, the figure dropped to 114 cm. For Bente, the same figure decreased by 3 cm.

“Look,” Stig laughs and pulls up his pants. “I’ve shrunk by one hole in my belt.” And I feel better."

"Very good for health"

“Tests confirm that eating fish is very good for health. Especially if we assume that half of the population in Norway will develop heart and vascular disease during their lifetime,” says Kjetil Retterstøl, professor at the Center for Clinical Nutrition.

He is not surprised that the Haug family is feeling better.

“Many types of meat, especially processed meats, contain a lot of unhealthy fat. Fish, on the other hand, is low in saturated fat. There is a lot of health in fish, unsaturated fat, which counteracts the formation of deposits in the circulatory system.

"More Energy"

But the Haug family admits that the matter did not stop there.

“We see the most impressive effect when we look at our boys. Everyone says they have more energy and achieve more at soccer practice,” says Boente.

And although at first they were somewhat skeptical about eating fish for lunch every day, now the opposite is true.

“Honestly, I never thought that our family would love fish so much. But now we will definitely eat fish 2-4 times a week. What a blessing it will be to not have to cook tacos on Fridays,” Stig smiles.

I talk about them too often and write everywhere.

No, I’m not a sweet tooth at all (from the word at all), but I just wanted to learn how to cook the right treats.

And, of course, they are not at all the basis of my diet.

Our family loves fish, and we eat it MUCH more often than meat.

I decided to write this article about her, and a trip to Karelia inspired me to do this.

There we visited a trout farm.

And despite the fact that the fish looked beautiful and fresh, I didn’t want to buy it at all.

After all, the information that the most healthy fish- this is a wild fish, the same one that was born and raised in its natural environment.

Let's talk in more detail about which fish is most useful and which you shouldn't eat.

From this article you will learn:

The healthiest fish for humans

We have been told that fish is healthy since childhood.

This product is truly unique.

See for yourself, I will briefly list the main advantages of fish and how fish is useful:

• Fish contains ESSENTIAL fatty acids

I think that many people know that our body needs a constant supply of two essential polyunsaturated ones - alpha-linolenic acid (OMEGA 3) and linoleic acid (OMEGA 6).

These acids are not synthesized by our body, so we must get them from food.

But, there are also two more OMEGA 3 fatty acids, which are also vital for our body:

• eicosapentoenoic acid (EPA)
• docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

These acids are not interchangeable, our body really needs them and are found mainly in fish!

This is one of the main factors indicating why eating fish is so beneficial.

The amount of OMEGA 6 to OMEGA 3 in our body should be approximately equal!

But, in fact, in practice, we use significantly more OMEGA 6 due to the fact that they are more often found in products than OMEGA 3.

This creates an unhealthy imbalance in the body, which manifests itself in the most various diseases(arthritis, depression, baldness, atherosclerosis, dementia, etc.)

Based on this, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends eating two to three fish dishes in Week.

• Fish is the source complete protein, which is quite easily absorbed in our body.
• And also fish is richest source vitamins and microelements, these are vitamin A, D, potassium, phosphorus, iodine, which are necessary for our body.

Salmon has the most optimal balance of OMEGA 3 to OMEGA 6.

The amount of EPA and DHA in this fish is perfect!

The daily dose of Omega-3 fatty acids is 85 milligrams.

This dose is found in just 100.0 salmon!

Wild fish vs farmed fish - which one to choose?

Today, all fish (including seafood) can be divided into two types: “artificial” or aquaculture (grown in artificial reservoirs on special feed) and wild fish (grown in natural conditions)

Here the opinion of nutritionists is clear: you need to choose the fish that has grown in its natural habitat, i.e. in rivers, seas and oceans.

Fish and seafood raised in captivity are fed diets laced with hormones, growth promoters, antibiotics, dyes and preservatives.

Today there are no strict requirements for food for this fish, that is, the dosage, quality, and safety of this food are not regulated in any way.

For example, artificially raised salmon contains 10 times more toxic substances such as diphenyl and dioxin than wild salmon. These poisons accumulate in our body and suppress the immune system, affecting the liver, kidneys, nervous system and, most importantly, have a mutagenic effect.

The dye canthaxanthin is added to the food for “artificial” trout, which is very harmful to our vision.

And one more very important factor, in aquaculture fish, Omega 3 fatty acids are almost completely absent.

What kind of fish can be raised artificially?

So, the main list of fish that can be grown in aquaculture includes:

• Salmon (salmon, salmon) - 90% of all salmon and trout on the shelves of our aquaculture stores
• Dorado (fish are bred in rooms with special light and fed special feeds so that the meat turns out white and tender)
• Seabass - Wild seabass is listed in the Red Book. All that is sold in stores is farmed fish.
• Pangasuis and Telapia are trash fish that live in the most dirty rivers peace. But they manage to grow this fish artificially, treating it with male sex hormones, such fish grow faster.
• Sturgeon - most sturgeon are also listed in the Red Book, their fishing in wildlife prohibited. Everything we see on store shelves is mostly aquaculture fish.
• Carp, crucian carp, haddock and carp can also be raised in fish farms.
• Unfortunately, this also includes most seafood (mussels, oysters, shrimp, scallops, octopus, lobsters, lobsters)

What fish are wild?

So, the wild fish that grew up in natural conditions, which means more healthy and tasty, is:

• Far Eastern salmon (pink salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon, coho salmon, Chinook salmon, trout, lenok, char, whitefish, etc.) is the main fishery for this fish in Kamchatka, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. This is the healthiest red meat and red caviar. This fish feeds on phytoplankton and krill and is rich in powerful antioxidants and Omega 3.
• Cod is healthy dietary fish, cod liver from which fish oil is produced is especially useful.
• Pollock - pollock is the closest relative of cod and the most accessible wild fish, which has a mass useful properties. Pollock protein is absorbed almost completely by the human body, and in terms of the amount of iodine, pollock simply cannot be found.
• Saury - this fish cannot be raised in captivity. This wild fish is a real storehouse of vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids.
• Herring - the common herring, is actually a valuable source of selenium, omega 3 and complete protein.
• Mackerel - this fatty fish loved by many, has also never grown in captivity, and has all the advantages of wild fish.
• Flounder - I was amazed, but it is flounder that contains more omega 3 than salmon, this fish is recommended to be consumed in postoperative period for quick recovery.
• Also wild fish include: hake, whiting, navaga, greenling, capelin, sardines.
• The best fish among river fish are pike and perch.
• They have not learned to artificially breed squid from seafood, but imported fillets of it can be found on sale. It is better not to eat such fillet because of its chemical treatment, it is best to buy Russian-made Pacific unpeeled squid.

How to choose the right fish?

This instruction manual will tell you how to choose the right fish.

Read carefully and remember!

You shouldn't buy fish fillets.

Very often bones are dissolved in it with a special chemical solution, and in order for the fillet to have a beautiful presentation, it is filled with water, salt, polyphosphates, dyes, ammonia and a bunch of other chemicals.

How to cook fish correctly?

It is worth paying attention to the following facts:

Well, and most in a harmful way cooking fish involves smoking, especially hot smoking. Not only does it kill everything beneficial in fish, but it is also a source of carcinogens that cause cancer.

Well, that’s probably all, friends!

What kind of fish do you buy most often?

Alena was with you, be healthy and eat right!