Seafood: The Dieter's Friend

As well as being high in essential nutrients, seafood is a fantastic aid for dieters looking to lose weight on a healthy and balanced diet.
Seafood is very low in calories in comparison to many other types of food, which makes it ideal for dieters on reduced calorie diets. Of course, if you're intending to benefit from the low number of calories in fish and shellfish, it's important to use healthy cooking methods such as steaming, grilling or baking.
Most of the calories in seafood come from protein, and protein is vital in keeping us feeling 'full'. In the 1990s, researchers at the University of Sydney found that 240-calorie portions of seafood kept participants feeling more satiated than portions of other foods with the same calorific contents.
What's more, omega-3 is essential for the thyroid gland, which helps to control metabolism, which in turn plays a large part in controlling weight. Several studies have found links between low levels of omega-3 and obesity, which provides even more reason to keep your seafood intake high when dieting.
Even if you are not on a diet, swapping your meat for seafood can reduce your calorific intake and provide you with additional nutrients such as Omega-3, selenium and Vitamin D. For example, try swapping the chicken in your stir-fry for a healthier alternative.

Healthy Choices at Seafood Restaurants

When you want to eat out healthfully, you just head to your local seafood joint, right? After all, fish is low in calories and saturated fat, and can be one of the best sources of brain-boosting, heart-healthy omega-3s.

Not so fast. Fish may start out as a wonder protein, but it can undergo a drastic transformation when it hits a commercial kitchen. Seafood restaurants have a long history of serving heaping baskets of heavily battered, deep-fried fish paired with even more deep-fried accompaniments. If there's a green vegetable to be found, it's the cabbage slaw swaddled in mayo.

But that's changing. Many chains now devote entire menu sections to blackened and broiled options. Red Lobster, the biggest national seafood chain, even offers half-portions (a satisfying 5 ounces) of grilled fish. This makes us happy as clams. Speaking of which, when steamed or boiled, clams and other shellfish are great choices—as long as you skip tartar sauce or melted butter.

We analyzed dishes at a number of restaurants. Dishes marked as "Splurge Only" aren't untouchable but can be a really big splurge. Nutrition numbers are estimates: Results vary widely among restaurants.

SPLURGE ONLY:

Fish and Chips

943 calories

A thick batter and oil that's slightly too cool will cause whatever's being fried to soak up oil—and fat and calories—like a sponge. Split one order among a group, and order a healthier appetizer to fill you up.

Fish and Shellfish Platters

1,194 calories

In addition to thickly coated, deep-fried seafood, you're getting fried starches, slaw, sauce, melted butter, and maybe a biscuit or two. It's obviously (and deliciously) true: Go for grilled instead.

ASK YOUR SERVER:

Mixed Grill

667 calories

Mixed grills generally offer several types of grilled seafood; the calorie and fat savings help mitigate the cup of slaw and fries. Still, start with a healthy salad, and split this entrée.

Crab Cakes

492 calories

These may be a lower-calorie choice, but there's probably more saturated fat from the mayo in the filling and butter in which they're cooked than you need. That's OK for an occasional treat, though.

HEALTHY CHOICE:

Cup of Clam Chowder

262 calories

Contrary to popular belief, most restaurants make chowder with milk and flour, not cream. (Confirm that with your server.) It's hearty and filling, so by all means have a cup to start.

Blackened (or Grilled) Fish

367 calories

Blackened fish is usually cooked with very little, if any, fat. If spicy heat doesn't light your fire, go for the grilled version, and appreciate the inherently sweet, delicate flavor of the fish.

Beware the Land-Lubber's Choices

Chicken dishes at seafood restaurants are notoriously high in calories. Often, it's because the chicken is fried, but even when it's not, it may be drowning in a mayonnaise- or cream-based sauce.

Happy Holidays!

From all of us at Sinbad's Pier 2 Restaurant! We wish you so much happiness in 2015!!