Thanks to Nostromo, Pescenudo had the fantastic opportunity to participate in a conference held at the Expo Conference Center, where there was a discussion of the role of fish in the Mediterranean diet.

With Professor Alessandra Bordoni, from the University of Bologna, we discussed and clarified the importance of fish in our diet, and in particular, preserved fish products.

Fish is one of the foods representative of the Mediterranean Diet. It is able to be made into food substances with high nutritional value such as proteins, omega 3, in particular, B vitamins and several minerals.

Despite these properties, currently in Italy we eat less than a third of the amount of fish recommended (100-150 g, 2-3 times per week).

This lack is mainly due to the availability, ease of storage and cost of the fish. The issue could be solved in part by the inclusion of preserved fish products in people’s diet and habits  (especially oily fish) such as anchovies, mackerel and tuna.

Fish preserved in oil is contributing almost the same macronutrients of fresh fish  to our body.

Here are different myths surrounding canned preserved fish products:

it is believed that in order to maintain the integrity of the fish for a length of time, preservatives need to be added.  In reality, a simple heat treatment, oil and salt is all that is needed to ensure the optimal conservation of the product.

it is thought that these products contain too much salt and too much fat (it is always preferable to choose  “natural” products rather than those preserved in oil). For example a can of tuna drained from 52 g of net product, contains the amount of salt equal to a 50 g piece of bread or 100 g of mozzarella. Regarding the fat content, we can compare our can to a 100 g slice of beef fillet or an egg.

As for mercury concerns, even those at risk (women planning pregnancy, pregnant women and nursing infants) may choose to consume up to 340 g per week of canned tuna without causing any problem.

We can therefore say that fish products stored cans are a good alternative to fresh fish in terms of price, convenience, taste and nutrients.

Obviously pescenudo, a blog that favors authentic and natural products, prefers fresh fish, but also understands the difficulties and problems that this great gift of nature can bring.  For this reason we feel compelled to at least consider and even recommend canned fish products.

Soon everyone may be able to prepare healthy and nutritious lunches, especially if following pescenudo.it !!!

Alex Vitali for pescenudo.it