Fresh Tuna Steak Recipes

Although consumption of canned tuna accounts for more Americans eating tuna than any other type of fish, canned tuna just doesn't compare to the wonderfully firm, dense and meaty flavor and texture of fresh tuna. Both canned and fresh tuna are available throughout the year; however, December is the when you can get fresh Hawaiian tuna.

Tuna is found in the warm water areas all around the world, including the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans as well as the Mediterranean Sea. Fresh tuna, smoked and pickled tuna, has been enjoyed by coastal populations throughout history, and has been consumed since ancient times.

Tuna fish are a nutrient-dense food, and an excellent source of high quality protein. Tuna are rich in a many different important nutrients including the minerals selenium, magnesium, and potassium; the B vitamins niacin, B1 and B6; and perhaps most important, the beneficial omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Essential fatty acids are so named because they are essential for our health but cannot be made by the body; they must therefore be obtained from foods. Cold-water fish like tuna and salmon are a rich source of the omega-3 essential fats, a form of essential fatty acids in which the standard American diet is sorely deficient. (The other form of essential fatty acids, the omega-6s, are plentiful in a variety of commonly consumed oils such as corn and safflower oil. In fact, the omega-6s are so plentiful in the typical American diet that too much omega-6 is consumed in proportion to omega-3s--an imbalance that promotes inflammation, thus contributing to virtually every chronic disease in which inflammation is a key component.)

Enjoying tuna or salmon just two times a week may help raise omega-3 levels at least as effectively as taking a daily fish oil supplement. Now I don't know about you, but I would
rather enjoy a delicious meal that includes a serving of omega-3-rich fish twice a week than swallow a capsule of fish oil every day, especially as gastrointestinal upset, burping and a fishy aftertaste are common side effects of taking fish oil capsules.

Omega-3 fatty acids provide a broad array of cardiovascular benefits, and many other health benefits. In fact, a number of recent studies have shown that eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids just 2 - 3 times a week helps:

• lower cholesterol
• prevent and control high blood pressure
• protect against heart arrhythmia
• protect against heart attack
• protect against deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism
• prevent obesity and improve insulin response
• reduce inflammation
• protect against childhood asthma
• protect against sunburn
• reduce hostility
• improve mood, reduce depression
• lower risk of leukemia, multiple myeloma, and non-Hodgkins type lymphoma
• protect against kidney cancer and colon cancer
• reduce risk of macular degeneration
• prevent mental decline and Alzheimer's Disease

Now, if you weren't sold on eating fish a couple of times a week before, after reading this list you must be ready to add it to your weekly menus! Click here for fresh tuna steak recipes, fresh salmon recipes, and canned salmon recipes.

Enjoy good food and good health when you eat fish a few times each week. Don't overlook the fresh sockeye salmon from Alaska that is available for the next few weeks. Bon apetit!