What is Seafood

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans provides integrated recommendations for health. One of the key recommendations includes increasing the amount and variety of seafood consumed by regularly choosing seafood as part of a healthy diet. The USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services also include a strong recommendation advising Americans to increase their consumption to two seafood meals per week to improve their overall health.

 

University of Idaho Extension educators agree and say the health benefits of eating fish are overwhelming but—at just over 60% of American Heart Association recommendations—U.S. per capita consumption is underwhelming. Living here in Idaho, one might ask why the University of Idaho is concerned about food from the sea. Well, seafood isn’t necessarily food from the sea. University of Idaho Extension educator Gary Fornshell: “When people think of seafood there’s a common misperception that seafood comes just from the ocean when seafood includes both freshwater and marine species, not only fish but also shellfish. In fact 50% of the world’s seafood supply now comes from aquaculture or fish farming and Idaho is the number one producer of Rainbow Trout in the U.S.

 

Idaho fish farms also produce tremendous amounts of Tilapia.