Weis dietitians: Get much needed omega 3 and eat more seafood
SUNBURY – October has been national seafood month and frequent guests on WKOK’s Sunrise program, Beth Stark and Kathryn Long from Weis Markets, say most people are not eating enough seafood. A registered dietitian, Kathryn Long says it’s recommended that people eat at least 2 servings a week.
She says there’s lots of benefits in doing so and says it could help you live longer, “From Harvard, they did an analysis of twenty studies that involved hundreds of thousands of participants and the people that ate 1-2 servings of seafood per week reduced their risk of heart disease by 36 percent. So, that is a huge number to me.”
Long says seafood offers a ton of nutritional value, specifically Omega 3, “They are an essential fat, so that means our body does not make them so we need to get them from food. They are important for our brain health, our eye health, and for our heart health. The fatty fish are really associate with heart health and really one of the best sources of Omega 3.”
She says salmon is one of the top choices, but there are many to include tilapia, cod, halibut, tuna and more.
Beth Stark says there are other options if cost or expiration dates are a concern, “Frozen varieties are slightly less expensive than the fresh and again, you have a lot more time to use it which is awesome. Don’t overlook canned and pouch varieties, those are very affordable and you can really keep them on hand for last minute lunches which is actually what I do. That’s basically when I get my seafood in, quick lunches with a tuna pouch or something.”
Long says cost and fear of not preparing it properly shouldn’t be barriers to not eating more seafood, since there are many options and varieties. You can hear the full interview online at wkok.com
