Many Americans are missing out on the nutritional benefits of fish and shellfish because they are falling short of weekly recommendations for seafood servings, according to USDA researchers.
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americansrecommend people eat two servings of seafood per week.
Theresa Sinicrope Talley, California Sea Grant Extension specialist at UC San Diego and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, said many Americans prefer imported fish like tuna, salmon and shrimp. She said 91 percent of the seafood Americans eat is imported.
“It’s not a problem,” Talley told KPBS Midday Edition on Wednesday. “I think it would be better to include more smaller fish. They tend to be a little more efficient because you get more energy per unit.”
Katie Ferraro, lecturer at SDSU’s School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, said fish has more nutrients, like Omega-3 fatty acids, than other animal proteins.
“You really get a lot of bang for your buck when it comes to seafood,” Ferraro said. “There’s a whole host of benefits that you can pretty much only get from fish.”
Talley said diversifying one’s diet would also be good for other aspects than just diet.
“This is good from an environmental standpoint,” Talley said. “And it’s good, maybe, for business.”
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