Should you Add more Seafood to your Diet?

We all know that eating a healthy, varied diet is important for keeping us fit and healthy. A lot of people consider this to be eating more fruits and vegetables, but have you ever considered adding more seafood in to your diet? There are many great reasons to eat more shrimp, and in this post I'm going to share a few with you.

Shrimp is an incredibly versatile seafood

Shrimp can be incorporated into so many different dishes. To give you an idea, here are just a few of the many different ways you can use shrimp.

• Shrimp goes great with rice and is the basis of many sushi dishes.

• Shrimp also works great with Italian pasta dishes like linguine or Asian noodles in the form of a stir fry. It goes very well with garlic and chilli.

• You can also incorporate shrimp into various curries. Shrimp is known to work very well with coconut. 

• Many Mexican dishes can also use shrimp including tacos. It’s also a staple of many Cajun dishes. 

• Cooked shrimp can also be added to salads and cold dishes. For example, this shrimp ceviche from Preppy Kitchen could make a great cold dish for the summer. 

• Shrimp can also make a great starter served with dips like sweet chilli or thousand island sauce. 

• You can even add shrimp to an omelette!

Shrimp is a lean source of protein

Compared to many meats and fishes, shrimp is relatively low in fat while also being high in protein. For example, when compared to chicken, shrimp has about 60% less fat and 40% more protein per calorie. This chicken vs shrimp comparison at Souper Sage offers more information. This makes it a fantastic source of protein for people that are trying to lose weight. It can also be a great source of protein for bodybuilders that are trying to gain muscle and reduce fat at the same time.

Shrimp contains many other nutrients too, including - potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and iron. It also contains a rare antioxidant called astaxanthin. This is found within algae, which is a major food source for shrimp, and has been found to be potentially very good for heart health. You’ll also find a lot of iodine within shrimp. Iodine is important for thyroid function. Those with an iodine deficiency may find that eating shrimp helps.

It’s also worth noting that shrimp contains some omega-3. This is not as much omega-3 as you’ll find in other forms of seafood, but still more than you get from most other foods. Omega-3 is believed to be very good for both our heart and our brain.

Shrimp doesn’t cost as much as other seafood

Compared to many other forms of seafood, shrimp is also quite affordable. It is particularly cheap compared to other sources of protein like meat. By swapping out some fish and meat for shrimp each week, you could save yourself some money on your food shopping.

It’s worth noting that shrimp is a different species to prawns and that prawns can be pricier (particularly jumbo king prawns). This is because shrimp are generally smaller than prawns and more abundant.

What recipe will you be trying shrimp with first?

This is a collaborative post.