Just been reading an article

[starone]

about the best foods to eat for a healthy heart. One of the suggestions is to eat oily fish such as mackerel or salmon at least twice a week. Can anyone tell me if this has to be fresh fish or does tinned fish do the same job? Can't go to the shops much so tinned would be ideal for me but if not freezer portions.

[grasscarp]

I am sure that the tinned versions will give you the necessary nutrients too. I read once that tinned sardines are so high in vitamins they should really be on the vitamins shelves!

[daisya]

I feel sure tinned is just as good for health as fresh as long it's oily fish. Love sardines on toast myself, nice lunch and healthy too.

[Bummle]

Tinned is good. Try tuna too

[starone]

Gosh - that was quick. Thanks very much - I shall include several tins of salmon, sardines and mackerel in my next online shopping list.

[grasscarp]

quick meal is a tin of tuna, a tin of kidney beans and sliced onions (red if you have them) with some dressing. Voila the Italian dish tonno fagiola.

[starone]

I am never sure which is the oily fish referred to, so is tuna oily as well bummle? I know that canning it in oil doesn't make it oily and I am assuming that I have to buy canned in water or something like that.

[Bummle]

I always understood that tuna was an oily fish but I don't profess to be an expert. I only ever buy canned in brine or spring water and dolphin friendly, of course.

[starone]

Thanks for that quick recipe grasscarp. I like kidney beans and red onions. And I have a new electric tin opener (thanks to advice from ABers) so I reckon I am well set for anything in tins.

[hc4361]

Canned tuna is not so good for fish oil, but is still a healthy fish. For your heart's sake buy canned salmon in brine, not oil.

Types of oily fish
Some of the most popular types of oily fish are: salmon, trout, sardines, swordfish, whitebait, fresh tuna, anchovies, eel, kipper, mackerel, carp, bloater, smelt, bluefish and sprats.

Take note that although fresh tuna is an oily fish, tinned tuna is not regarded so, as most of the oil is removed in the canning process. However, other types of oily fish that can be tinned such as sardines and anchovies, still count as oily fish.

In the same way, smoked oily fish also still counts as oily fish.

[grasscarp]

Here is a list of oily fish:

Salmon
Trout
Mackerel
Herring
Sardines
Pilchards
Kipper
Eel
Whitebait
Tuna (fresh only)
Anchovies
Swordfish
Bloater
Carp
Sprats

so it looks like tuna is an oily fish till it gets in a can!

[scotman]

here is a list

http://www.fishoil-be...enefit/oily-fish-list

[daisya]

Trout, salmon, mackerel, herring, pilchards, kippers, tuna (fresh only), anchovies are all oily fish eaten tinned or fresh though they recommend fresh tuna only because when canned it loses the benefits of being oily apparently.

[daisya]

Oops sorry I didn't see the list had been posted above mine.

[starone]

That's a very comprehensive list grasscarp, I am making a note of those. Now is it all right to buy them frozen, especially tuna. I think you can buy tuna steaks frozen but haven't investigated it thoroughly yet.

[Euphemia]

Are omega-3 fish oil capsules just as good as the real thing?

[Bummle]

0h well, hc4361, you live an learn, eh? Thankfully I eat enough other fish to cover my oily quota (anchovies mmmmm) and so the odd can of oil-depleted tuna will do me no harm, I guess.

[hc4361]

Yes, frozen fish is just as beneficial as fresh. Unless you've caught it yourself, of course.

[Postdog]

The peppered or lemon mackerel in the plastic wrapping are very nice. If you freeze on the day you buy they'll keep.

[grasscarp]

capsules are good and frozen fish are good. Often frozen veg are better for you than fresh because the fresh starts to wilt and loses vitamins while the frozen have been preserved at their peak. I imagine that fish will be much the same for preserving the goodness.

[starone]

Thanks everyone. You are very kind and helpful. Looks as if I have plenty of choice there. I like all of them except anchovies, which are too salty for me.