Tag Archives: fish

McDonald’s Commits to Serving Certified Sustainable Seafood at All Locations

McDonald’s isn’t usually one to make headlines for positive news, but that’s just what they’ve done this week. The company announced yesterday that it will commit to serving only certified-sustainable seafood at all of its locations, making it the first U.S. national restaurant chain to do so.

This, of course, is big news for sustainability advocates as McDonald’s is the one of the largest single buyers of fish in the U.S.

Consumers will notice the change not only in the company’s packaging, which will now include a blue ecolabel of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). But also in a marketing effort which will roll out as soon as the changes are official in early February. In addition to their famous Filet-O-Fish sandwich, McDonald’s will also launch a new product called Fish McBites, which will be made with MSC-certified, wild-caught Alaska pollock.

As reported by the Huffington Post, the MSC is an independent non-profit organization that sets standards for sustainable fishing based on the impacts a fishery has on its ecosystem, its fish stock health, and its fishery management system. (more…)

7 Meatless Meals for 7 Fridays in Lent

With everyone recovering from their Mardi Gras hangovers (both food and alcohol induced), we hope no one is giving up water and Advil for Lent. The 40 days (and nights) leading up to Easter is known as Lent and is observed by Catholics as a way to fast and abstain from the vices and worldly enjoyments that may take them from their faith or even concentration on living a pure life. Catholics are expected to “give up something” during Lent; it could be any number of things like diet soda, television, sex, smoking, alcohol, or social media.

One thing all Catholics must give up is meat on Fridays, considered a day of abstinence. Fish and vegetarian dishes become go-to meals during Lent. Fried fish sandwiches and cheese pizza seem to be standards of the Catholic diet during this time because they’re easy and accessible, especially if you’re used to a drive-thru menu.

Whether Meatless Monday or Meatless Friday, we say embrace it and use this as an opportunity to overhaul your dietary habits. Only good things can come of it, right?

We’re making the next seven Fridays a snap and planning the meals for you. These are seven of our most popular meatless and fish recipes for dinner. (more…)

Obama Backs New EPA Mercury Reduction Plan

What do you do when some of the healthiest foods on the planet, fish and shellfish, actually become dangerous to eat? Of course, the dangers of mercury exposure are much more extensive and complex than that, and for that reason the Obama Administration has announced its praise for new protective measures to reduce mercury and other toxic air emissions.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finished our first national standards to reduce toxins. Power plants are the largest man-made source of toxic air emissions such as mercury, arsenic, acid gas, and cyanide in the United States.

When mercury is not emitted naturally from such sources as volcanoes, it comes from human activities like manufacturing or burning coal for fuel.

When mercury falls from the sky through precipitation (rain or snow) into bodies of water like lakes and streams. From here, it works its way up the food chain. Bacteria in soils and sediments convert mercury to methylmercury, at which point it is consumed by small aquatic plants and animals. (more…)

Top 10 Must-Haves on Your Grocery List for Weight Loss

When you lead a busy life, grocery shopping can be a time-consuming chore. If you’re beginning a new diet, you have probably seen a number of resources that offer sample grocery lists and suggested items that deserve a permanent place in your pantry or refrigerator.

While those lists can be helpful, they are sometimes more confusing than useful. Recently, we caught up with Caroline Cederquist, M.D. and founder of BistroMD, a gourmet meal delivery service developed by physicians. Cederquist shared her top ten grocery list items that she recommends patients purchase when they want to eat a healthier diet.

“The shopping list consists of top 10 mainstay items that help you stay on track, lose weight, and add lots of flavor to meals and snacks,” Cederquist said. “A lot of these items can also be used to substitute higher calorie foods for healthier ones.”

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How to Grill Simple Summer Seafood

With a summer heat wave affecting most of the country, home cooks are more enthusiastic than ever about recipes that don’t involve turning on the oven or stove. If you’re already tiring of salads, sandwiches and simple grilled chicken, it’s time to look to the sea for some grilling inspiration.

Lauren Salkeld , Senior Editor, Epicurious, likes to keep things simple when she’s preparing or cooking seafood on the grill.

Use healthy oils. Sometimes people perceive fish to be difficult to grill because it falls apart during the cooking process. “Fish often falls apart because it sticks to the grill,” said Salkeld. “Be sure to gently rub or brush fish with oil and you shouldn’t have too much trouble.” To keep your favorite fish figure-friendly, opt for a heart-healthy oil, like canola or olive.

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Fun and Healthy Activities for Father’s Day

As Father’s Day approaches, there are sales on all kinds of ties, tools and barbeque aprons with slogans like “Best Dad Ever” available. But this Father’s Day, consider making it a health conscious holiday and take dad to do some activities that will boost his health and help you enjoy some quality time together.

There are a lot of activities that can be done outside during this time of year when the weather is warm and the sun is shining. Dad will love the fact that you thought to do something fun with him that may also burn some calories and allow him to be one with nature. Consider the things your dad likes to do outside and make a day of it. You and dad can go by yourselves or invite the entire family along- either way, you are bound to have a great time he will never forget.

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The Truth About Canned Tuna: Is it a Healthy Choice?

Formerly “weight challenged,” Denis Faye dropped 50 pounds following a 5-year jaunt through Australia, a trip that helped him become the extreme sports and fitness enthusiast he is today. His sports include swimming, scuba, rock climbing, spelunking, mountain biking, trekking, and—most importantly—surfing. He’s been a professional journalist for 20 years, writing for Outside, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, Wired, Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, GQ, Surfer, and Pacific Longboarder. Denis now writes for Beachbody, which provides effective home workout dvds such as the very popular P90x program and the cardio workout dvd, TurboFire.

If ever a food confused health conscious eaters, it’s canned tuna. On one side, there’s the ascetic dieter, who eats the stuff right from the tin along side his single celery stick. On the other side, there’s your mom’s awesome cream-of-mushroom soup-drenched tuna casserole, which is trumped anti-nutritionally only by that greasy diner mainstay, the tuna melt. (True fact: in many restaurants, the tuna melt outdoes the hamburger for both calories and fat.)

And then there are the questions of mercury and overfishing and omega-3 fatty acids. Is this a healthy food or not? What’s a fish eater to do?

Fortunately, once you break it down, it’s not that complicated. As it turns out, a can of tuna can be healthy, ethical, and yummy – as long as your get your hands on the right can.

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Healthier Royal Wedding Watch Party Recipes

No royal wedding watch party is complete without Yorkshire pudding!

With the royal wedding just a few days away, it seems that most cooks have UK fever – and the desire to cook like British royalty. While British cuisine is typically simple and unfussy, home cooks and professional chefs are pulling out all the stops in light of Prince William and Kate Middleton‘s upcoming nuptials.

If you are hosting a watch party for your friends and family to celebrate the royal wedding, opt for healthier versions of favorite English-inspired meals and snacks that will keep the atmosphere authentically British without leaving your home.

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Answers to The 17 Day Diet Frequently Asked Questions, with Dr. Mike Moreno

The hottest diet of the year is without a doubt The 17 Day Diet by Dr. Mike Moreno. The original self-published book couldn’t keep up with the demands generated by endorsements from Dr. Phil and The Doctors. Earlier this month, Dr. Mike Moreno republished through Simon and Schuster and The 17 Day Diet is now available through national booksellers.

Since November when the book debuted, many questions have been asked by followers of the diet and by those considering the diet. We sat down with Dr. Mike to clarify the most commonly asked questions by our readers.

Here are your questions about The 17 Day Diet, and Dr. Mike’s answers:

Is The 17 Day Diet Appropriate for Diabetics?

“Absolutely, it’s a diabetic’s best friend,” whether type 1 or type 2, diabetics will realize weight loss. (more…)

Healthy Seafood Recipes For Lent

During the Lent season, or the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday, many people who observe these holidays abstain from eating meat on Fridays. While this might sound tedious to dedicated carnivores,  Friday doesn’t always have to be a pizza night. If you’re already tired of spaghetti and scrambled eggs, think about incorporating seafood into your breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

If you observe Lent, keep your meals interesting on Fridays throughout the season with these spectacular seafood recipes that are filling, healthy – and even family-friendly.

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Eat Right With White Foods Packed With Nutrition

Mary Hartley, RD, MPH, is the director of nutrition for Calorie Count, providing domain expertise on issues related to nutrition, weight loss and health. She creates original content for weekly blogs and newsletters, for the Calorie Count library, and for her popular daily Question-and-Answer section, Ask Mary. Ms. Hartley also furnishes direction for the site features and for product development.

White food has gotten a bum rap because white sugar and white flour may be harmful in excess. But it’s unwise to discriminate against “white” when it’s the color of some mighty healthy foods. Milk, cottage cheese, cauliflower, mushrooms, garlic, onions, tofu, potatoes, white beans, and white whole wheat flour are all over-the-top nutritious. But unlike other foods with nutrient properties based on color, white foods actually have nothing nutritionally in common.

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