Essentia Nutrition: Something Fishy…and It’s All in How You Cook It

How many ways do you know how to cook fish?

In this week’s Essentia Nutrition KVRR’s Diane Thao sits down with a dietician who shares different methods of cooking and why eating fish can be healthy for you.

I’m here with Essentia Health Registered Dietician Marsha Parker who’s here to share with us some different ways of cooking fish.

DT: Marsha, what are some common fish that is in the area first of all?
 
MP: Well in our area we’re so lucky to have an abundant sun fish, perch, crappie, walleyes, northern. Those are probably the most popular fish that we have here simply because they’re a mild tasting white fish.
 
DT: And what are some typical ways of cooking them?
 
MP: Growing up, I know at my house it was always pan fried and coated in some kind of a flour coating. Then cooked in butter and oil, which I think is still a very popular way of cooking fish. It kind of negates some of the helpful benefits of consuming fish.

DT: And what are some different ways of cooking fish?
 
MP: Well, one way you can do is cook it in a very hot oven. You can heat your oven to 450 degrees. Dip your fish in some egg or milk then coat it in flour. Put it on your pan that you sprayed some non-stick spray. Then drizzle some butter on it. You can cook your fish very quickly in the oven and get that pan fried taste with a lot fewer calories and saturated fat.
 
DT: Okay so we have the oven, pan-friend…
 
MP: Another way to do it is you can place it on the grill. Leave the skin on and oil the skin side of the fish and put it on the grill. It will cook in just seconds. Most of these fish are a thinner fillet so it doesn’t take long for them to cook. Women who are pregnant, who plan on being pregnant are breast feeding or children 15 and younger are the ones who really need to be more cautious about the amount of fish that they do consume. Mercury is in fish because it ended up in our lakes due to manufacturing practices and farming practices. The fish then absorb that mercury and when we eat that fish, we absorb some of that mercury too.
 
DT: Well, thank you very much Marsha for stopping by and sharing with us some great information on ways to cook fish and why watching your mercury is important.