3 Excellent Ways To Prepare Fish That's Great For Your Heart

Fish Offers Numerous Nutrients When It Is Cooked Properly 

Fish is a nutritious protein food that dietitians recommend eating several times a week. However, you must prepare fish in particular ways to provide the most benefits for your heart. While you might buy a healthy type of fish at the supermarket, you can ruin the food with the wrong types of cooking methods. First, make sure to buy the most nutritious fresh, frozen or canned fish at a local grocery store. Here are some types of nutritious fish available at supermarkets:

• Rainbow trout
• Mackerel
• Perch 
• Herring 
• Tuna
• Cod
• Salmon 

Use fresh fish as soon as possible because this food spoils quickly. Fish contains several nutrients, including: 

• Vitamin B2
• Calcium
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Potassium
• Iodine
• Vitamin D
• Zinc
• Iron
• Magnesium 

To prepare fish in a healthy way that preserves the nutritional value, you should use one of three cooking methods. 

Fish Cooking Method 1: Steaming Fish 

If you want to have tasty fish for lunch or dinner, then learn how to steam this food. Buy a specialized steaming basket that is made of metal or bamboo. You will place this device over a pan or skillet that is filled with water. When you set the skillet or pan on a stove’s burner, the steam from the boiling water cooks the fish without removing any nutrients. In addition, the steam doesn’t add any calories from cooking oils. You can cook fish without any seasonings, but you can also rub in flavorings such as garlic, pepper or chili powder. It is possible to place the fish directly in the steamer basket, but many chefs recommend wrapping it in aluminum foil first. Most fresh fish will steam in five to nine minutes, but frozen fish takes longer to cook. 

Fish Cooking Method 2: Grilling Fish

Another healthy way to prepare fish is by grilling it outside over wood chips or charcoal. Make sure to only use your grill outside, and keep the fish refrigerated until it is time to cook the food. You can make a marinade for fish to give it additional flavor without making it a high calorie meal. You can mix your marinade ingredients in a glass bowl or plastic bag. Make a fish marinade with these ingredients:

• Lemon juice
• Olive oil
• Garlic cloves
• Pepper
• Salt 
• Basil

By marinating the fish for several hours, it will have a delicious flavor. To keep the fish from falling through the grill’s metal slats, use a grilling basket that holds the food inside. It takes only a few minutes to grill fish, and you can cook extra to refrigerate for meals later in the week. 

Fish Cooking Method 3: Baking Fish

Baking fish in an oven is an excellent way to cook this food. You can use a glass or ceramic dish to bake fish in a traditional oven. To keep the fish from sticking to the bottom of the dish, use a small amount of olive oil. You can cook pieces of fish plain, or you may want to add other ingredients, including herbs or sliced vegetables. Some of the vegetables that taste great with baked fish include bell peppers or tomatoes. Bake fish at a medium-high temperature for approximately 20 minutes. The baked fish tastes fantastic with side dishes such as brown rice or dark leafy green salads.