FOCUS ON HEALTH:A healthy and tasty alternative

Over nine years ago Catalina Fish Kitchen opened in Costa Mesa to provide residents with a healthy, casual and fun dining option.

The restaurant’s premise is now part of a nationwide push for people to eat more seafood. Dietitians and other health professionals are lauding fish and seafood for its health benefits, especially the presence of omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.

But since fish is not everybody’s favorite food, Catalina Fish Kitchen owner Bill Wilkins caters not only to fish lovers, but also to newcomers and those who are hesitant when it comes to ordering seafood but understand the need for getting the essential nutrient.

The human body is unable to make omega-3, and the best way to get it is from fish, said Jill Golden, coordinator of Orange Coast College’s food science program and a registered dietitian.

For that reason, eating a balanced diet with seafood as one component is essential to a healthy body.

“Fish has polyunsaturated fat, which reduces the risk of heart disease…. Regular consumption helps prevent blood clots and protects against irregular heartbeats, and it lowers blood pressure,” she said.

Wilkins said keeping the food simple is key to keeping it tasty.

“The best thing for them to do is to start out with a light flavorful fish like a white fish — Hawaiian ono, halibut or albacore are good, lighter fish,” he said. “Start out with those and then prepare it by char-grilling it or pan-searing it — it’s more natural so it brings out the juices … and then season it with their favorite flavors.”

Almost anything put with red meat or chicken can be paired with fish, he said, so pick a favorite seasoning to try to reproduce the flavor.

Of course, it all starts out in the ocean — fresh water fish doesn’t seem as popular in our seaside towns — and the deeper the water the fish was caught in, the better, said Blue Coral culinary partner Mike Doctulero.

“It’s really simplistic — the cleaner the water, the better the fish,” he said. “The further away from civilization, the better the fish.”

Doctulero said the fish purveyors Blue Coral uses go through a rigorous screening process to make sure they are long-line caught and come from deep ocean locations. They never buy farm-raised fish.

It seems like a no-brainer that pollutants in our food does not make for healthy options. One of the worries is the presence of mercury in fish.

The heavy metal can affect the central nervous system, which is the control center of the brain, Hoag clinical dietitian Jeanne Barnett said.

This can cause confusion and can attack other bodily functions.

That said, the main warnings are for pregnant women and children who can be more affected by mercury, OCC’s Golden said.

To avoid higher mercury levels, don’t eat the skin of the fish, Barnett said.

Aside from that, fish should be eaten anywhere from one to three times a week with one of those servings preferably coming from an oilier, fattier fish such as salmon.

But don’t worry if you’re counting calories — even the fattiest fish is lower in fat and cholesterol than that of land animals. It is also not a saturated fat like red meat.

“That’s the thing about seafood, it comes from a pristine environment — the ocean is chock full of minerals and nutrients,” Wilkins said. “Seafood is coming from the best spot in the world.”

If you’re not going to a restaurant for a fresh seafood meal, make sure you buy from a market or store that’s reputable. Buyers can check for freshness while perusing the deli case. Look for bright color, the absence of a fishy smell — fresh, good fish should not smell fishy — and the meat should bounce back when touched. If buying a whole fish, check the eyes for glassiness.

Even buying fresh fish from a local fisherman may not always be the best bet, Doctulero said, depending on where the fisherman caught it.

“The wilder and the farther away, the better,” he said.