Fish on a Budget

When I started eating more quality food I noticed that a lot more of our money was going towards the grocery bill. It's an unfortunate thing, but the reality is that healthier food costs more than pre-packaged, processed "food" (most of the time). However, if you plan ahead, look for bargains, and make some changes to our lifestyle the cost doesn't have to have such a huge impact on your wallet. 

Fish can be really beneficial to your diet. Protein, omega 3s, Vitamin D, and calcium are just a few of the nutritional components found in most fish. Not all fish are created equal, and I plan on writing about farm raised vs. wild, mercury, and other contamination issues in the future. And surprise, surprise, the best quality fish is also the most expensive. One of the ways I get fish onto my plate without forking over a small fortune is canned fish. Canned tuna and salmon can be added to salads and pasta dishes to add a punch of protein.

This afternoon I was trying to think of a quick lunch option for my mom and I and remembered this recipe for a tuna and chickpea salad. I didn't have all of the ingredients...including the tuna! So instead I used sardines. Yes, you read correctly, sardines! Sardines are a food that have somehow gotten this reputation for being disgusting but when you ask most people if they have even tried them, they usually say no. I had never had sardines before today. I had ordered them from a place I buy my salmon and they have been making a pretty comfortable home for themselves in my kitchen cabinet. Sardines are jam-PACKED with healthy stuff - 50% of your vitamin D for the day, 20% of your calcium. Excellent source of omega-3s. And honestly, I thought they tasted pretty good. Would I scoop a whole tin out with a fork and shovel it into my mouth? Probably not. But I happily replaced the tuna with them in the salad above. I scooped the bean and sardine mix onto a pile of leafy greens, drizzled some olive oil on it (I didn't have pesto either, so it needed something to help combine the flavors) and enjoyed my lunch!

I plan on incorporating fish into my weekly diet as much as I can. And canned fish will be a building block to a lot of my meals. More recipes to come!