Wild Caught vs. Farm Raised Fish. Which is better? Is it worth the money?
The seafood and fish counter in the supermarket offers so many options. When considering wild caught versus farmed fish, people need some easy, usable facts to help them make their shopping decisions. Wild caught fish is the obvious best choice but is not always available or budget friendly. Wild caught fish are high in omega 3 fats which are important for brain and nervous system function while decreasing generalized inflammation in the body.Farm raised are raised in tanks and given fortified feed. They tend to have higher levels of saturated fats and higher levels of omega 6 fatty acids which are responsible for inflammatory responses in the body. They have lower levels of heart and brain healthy omega 3 fatty acids as well. They are often fed antibiotics to ward off disease as they are raised in crowded tanks. We ingest these added antibiotics and don’t reap the benefits of the omega 3 fatty acids.
How can we enjoy fish, reap the benefits of this wonderful protein source while keeping it budget friendly?
Some fish are responsibly farmed (seen in Whole foods) which means that they are raised in clean environments and fed a vegetarian diet with out added hormones or antibiotics. As a result, these fish are high in the beneficial omega 3’s while being low in the inflammatory omega 6’s. They are more readily available than wild caught and are more budget friendly.
Some fish that are healthy and can be responsibly farmed are salmon,char, tilapia, catfish.
News Flash! Responsibly farmed salmon from Norway has been seen at Costco as well!
Happy Eating!