Salmon is one of my FAVOURITE foods. I absolutely love grilled salmon for dinner… and what’s not to love? It is delicious and a great source of many nutrients. Salmon is especially abundant in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and Vitamin D.
In one fillet(~100g) you will get:
- ~17-20 grams of protein
- ~13 grams of fat (only 3g of this coming from saturated fat)
- ~ 320 IU of vitamin D
- ~200 calories
Salmon is always noticed for its good quality fat content. It contains very little saturated (bad) fats and lots of the GOOD unsaturated fat. It is a substantial source of omega-3 fatty acids. There are three types of omega-3 fatty acids: ALA, DHA, and EPA.
ALA cannot be made in our body’s therefore, it must be consumed in our diet. However, DHA and EPA can be made in very small amounts.
Omega-3 fats are very important to brain, eye, and nerve development and health.
The healthy fat content also may help reduce your risk of heart disease.
The government currently recommends you to consume fish at least 2 servings a week for the nutritional benefits. I definitely exceed the 2 servings (tuna and salmon are my go-to picks)!
The one caution I want to bring to your attention – if you are pregnant or are feeding fish to your child, you must be extra cautious of fish due to mercury content. Mercury effects the developing brain (small children or the developing neonate in pregnant women). Children that are 1-4 years old should only consume ~75g per month (states Dietitians of Canada) and pregnant mothers should consume no more than 150g per month. The general population is able to consume 150g per week.
This is an example of a healthy balanced dinner — one of my favs! Salmon (protein + fat), pan seared in olive oil (fats), and loads of vegetables/lentils (carbs). YUM!
Cooking tip: I usually keep it simple and cook my salmon brushed with olive oil, pepper + salt. Sometimes I enjoy to make a honey-glazed version by brushing natural honey on top or maple-glazed using maple syrup. All options are delicious and avoid the use of high sodium dressings/flavoured spice mixes 🙂
BBLISS Yoga 