Several of you emailed me and said that you want to eat more fish but don’t know how to select it at your grocery or market. One of my friends said that she mainly eats fish when she and her husband go out to dinner since she just stands at the fish counter and has no clue what to purchase. Maybe you buy canned tuna and canned salmon instead of fresh fish because you’re not certain what to look for either. Is the fish fresh? What is the source? Is it sustainable and how is the environment affected?

Did you know that the fresh fish you buy at the market or grocery has often been frozen? It’s not an issue except that you don’t want to freeze it again for the quality and taste can be affected. Fishing vessels may spend a week or two out at sea so the fish is kept on ice or even flash frozen. One designation of quality you can look for are the letters FAS meaning Frozen-at-Sea. This flash freeze process takes place on board a fishing vessel and the fish is frozen at a very low temperature. Even if you buy fish that is caught locally, it may still take a few days to make the trip from sea to shore to store.

In addition to fish caught by line or a net, aquaculture refers to farm raised fish. Farmed fish can be practical in that it reduces the problem of overfishing certain species. Fish are raised in ponds, pens or tanks.

According to the Blue Ocean Institute, a few of the fish that are currently sustainable and safe include tilapia (farmed), salmon (wild Alaskan), and yellow fin tuna. Check their site for information on fish choices, contaminants and mercury information.

Be sure and purchase from a reputable fish market or grocery that sells a lot of fish. Fish should be well iced. If you are selecting a steak or fillet from a white-flesh fish, be sure that the flesh is translucent with a pinkish tint. All fillets should not look dry but appear solid or dense. If the fish is prepackaged in plastic, make sure there is only fish, no liquid.

If you buy fresh fish have it bagged and put into another bag of ice to keep it cold, particularly in the summer months. Eat the fish within one or two days and keep it in a cold part of your refrigerator until you cook it. Frozen fish should be frozen hard and appear a little shiny.

Fish is easy to cook. One of my favorite simple ways is to cook a salmon fillet at 375 degrees for about 17 minutes. Before you put it in the oven, sprinkle the fillet with a mixture of herbs or spices or use a fish rub and rub it on the filet as the name implies. Make a salad and microwave a sweet potato or a veggie while the fish is in the oven and that’s it….an easy and healthy dinner on the table in no time.