Canned salmon and the amazing benefits of omega-3
‘Low in saturated fat, rich in zinc and a great source of omega-3s – there are plenty of reasons to eat canned salmon,’ says Foodwatch dietitian and nutritionist Catherine Saxelby. ‘It is also high in protein and full of iodine, potassium and zinc. Make sure you eat the small edible bones, one 100 g can provides 200–230 mg of calcium – 20 per cent of the recommended daily intake.’
We asked diabetes dietitian Kaye Foster Powell what’s so great about omega-3s for people with diabetes. ‘People with large amounts of omega-3 fats in their diet are less likely to have type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes,’ says Kaye. ‘What’s more, these fats are a must for a healthy heart – and they don’t upset your blood glucose levels. There are lots of ways omega-3 fats can help you.![[SALMON]](http://www.glycemicindex.com/blog/2008/march08/canned225.jpg)
- They make your platelets less sticky and lower fibrinogen levels (fibrinogen is a blood-clotting factor). This means they decrease the chance of forming blood clots throughout your body, thus reducing the likelihood of a heart attack, stroke, or embolism (clot)
- They make your red blood cells more flexible so your blood flows more easily, lowering your blood pressure and improving delivery of nutrients and oxygen to your cells
- They lower blood fats (especially triglycerides) and increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels
- They stabilise your heartbeat, preventing heartbeat abnormalities (arrhythmia) that can lead to cardiac arrest
- They may reduce microalbuminuria (an abnormally high amount of protein in the urine) and thus help patients on dialysis (a machine to filter the kidneys)
- They may elevate your mood, lift depression and improve your ability to deal with stress
- They reduce inflammation and can relieve symptoms of arthritis, and
- They may reduce the output of the stress hormone adrenaline.’
Fusilli with salmon and baby spinach
Serves 6
![[RECIPE PIC]](http://www.glycemicindex.com/blog/2008/march08/salmon_recipe225.jpg)
500 g fusilli, or another pasta of choice
spray oil
250 g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves, sliced
210 g can red or pink salmon, drained and flaked
1/2 cup extra-light cream or light evaporated milk
juice 1 lemon
60 g baby spinach leaves
chopped chives and grated parmesan
cheese to serve
- Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water, following packet instructions. Drain the pasta well and set aside, keeping warm.
- Heat a large frying pan on high. Spray with oil. Sauté the tomatoes and garlic for a minute then stir in the salmon, cream and lemon juice. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 2–3 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the mixture has thickened slightly.
- Toss the sauce through the hot pasta with the spinach leaves. Serve topped with chives and a little parmesan. Accompany with salad.
1700 kJ/405 Cal, 9 g fat (includes 2.5 g saturated fat), 62 g carbohydrate, 5 g fibre
13 comments:
you're forgetting alumunium in can and mercury in fish. good luck next time.
Is fresh salmon OK?
The cans it comes in are usually steel cans aren't they ? Not much aluminium there. Anyway there's way more evidence that omega3 is good for you than that harmful quatities of aluminium are absorbed from cans.
this recipe has 62gm carb,oh my god.
Fresh salmon is a great source of omega-3s. In this piece we wanted to focus on canned convenience for quick everyday meals.
As for the amount of carbs in this recipe, if you have type 2 diabetes and 62 g is too high for you in a single meal, have a smaller serving. Or use less pasta making the recipe and more salmon.
Reduce the amount of pasta, use a whole grain lower carb pasta.And add another veggie like white beans.
Great recipe - and I made it with almond milk.
Canned salmon, fresh picked salad greens (I grow my own) with batter bean patty on the side makes a quick and easy meal. Re heavy metals the higher up the food chanin the more a fish contains - so I eat tuna maybe 3 times a year - same with mackerel etc. Learn which fish eats which fish
Never underestimate the power of one! I phoned the maker of a no added sugar cranberry juice to thank them for providing us with an alternative and suggested they may consider doing the same with craisins - after all we can sweeten oursleves if needed with prferred low GI sweetener. They have put this request in as a suggestion. Have had same success with maker of diced tomatoes - ther are now some in their range which have no added sugar.
Thanks for your comments Cleopatra and the meal idea which sounds delicious. That's a mighty powerful power of one.
Going back to VINEGAR. Is HEINZ DISTILLED WHITE VINEGAR OK? The ingredients listed on its label are: "made from select sun-ripened grain, diluted with water to a uniform pickling and table strength of 5% (50 grains)acidity"
Red wine, white wine, distilled or cider vinegar - it's all vinegar and it is its acidity that slows stomach emptying thereby slowing digestion. Lemon and lime juice do the trick too.
This seems healthy and tasty but what about cost? A lot of people trying to loose weight are low income earners (a budget of $3 or less per meal) and ingrediants like salmon and udon noodles are expensive. Any cheap alternatives?
Feeding a family on a budget is difficult. A 200g can of pink salmon (No Frills brand) is around $2.30 and can be tossed in spaghetti instead of noodles. No Frills spaghetti (500g packs) are around $1.25, but you don't need the whole pack unless you are feeding a crowd. All you need to do is add some green veggies for a healthy meal.
For two people you could use the whole can of salmon and 160g dried spaghetti. That adds up to around $3.00. Serve it with seasonal green veggies (they should fill up around half the dinner plate) and you have an economical meal for two.
Post a Comment