We are a people of the sea and we know how to cook fish and seafood like no one else. Our clams with Bolhão Pato, our barnacles, our brilliantly cooked or grilled prawns... But, after all, is it possible to eat seafood in a healthy way?
Cooking healthy seafood
With the growing concern about cholesterol and fat in the diet, many people do not understand whether or not they can eat shrimp, squid and/or clams. This is because your cholesterol levels are at their limit.
Fortunately, several recent studies say that seafood should not be seen as dangerous and can even help lower cholesterol (yes, you read that right!). Not only does seafood have a low amount of fat (0.5 to 2.5%), half of it is omega-3, which helps reduce harmful cholesterol (LDL).
Oysters, clams, mussels and crab are the seafood of choice for those concerned about cholesterol. Barnacles were not included in the studies, but since they have very little fat (0.4%), we can include them in the list of seafood we can choose from.
However, as not everything is a bed of roses, there are two types of shellfish that we should avoid: whelks and sea urchins (as they are the most contaminated). On the other hand, the ones we should focus on are shrimp and bivalves.
This summer, enjoy a good seafood, accompanied by a beautiful salad.
