Fish Substitutions When you Can’t Fish your Wish

We’ve all been there: you make a beautiful meal plan and head to the grocery store for your ingredients, only to find that the type of fish you were planning on preparing is unavailable, too pricey, or looking less than fresh. But worry not! We’ve pulled together a fish substitution guide so that you can still make the meal you planned for, even when you can’t find the fish you wished for.

We’ve all heard that we should be incorporating more seafood into our diets, but this can feel much easier said than done. In my years of helping people to become more comfortable with cooking, I have found that this is due to the fact that many people find seafood to be kind of an unknown when it comes to ingredients and also because fish can be pricey and, therefore, hard to fit into your family’s food budget.

To help you to overcome these obstacles, I have put together this post that will help to demystify seafood. I’ll explain why eating fish is great for you health-wise, offer different fish substitutions that will help you to find the right (and reasonably-priced) seafood for your meal, and share some super simple recipes that will help to take the fear out of cooking fish.

Why Eating Fish is Good for You

There are a number of reasons why eating seafood is good for you, which is why the American Heart Association, among others, recommend that we eat at least two servings of fish each week.

Fish: A Nutritional Powerhouse

So what does fish actually offer us in terms of nutrition?

First, it is important to note that seafood is an excellent lean protein source. In addition, fish is packed with nutrients including Vitamin D, Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), and selenium. And finally, seafood, and especially fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, and anchovies, are a wonderful source of omega-3 fatty acids.

The Benefits Gained from Eating Seafood

So what does eating fish actually do for you?

Well, study after study has shown that eating fish is good for decreasing your risk of heart disease, lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation, and improving blood vessel function. In addition, there is evidence that the omega-3’s in seafood may decrease the risk of a number of disorders including Alzheimer’s, dementia, depression, diabetes, ADHD, and depression. Finally, in terms of children’s development, omega-3 fatty acids have been show to help in both brain and vision development during pregnancy.

Fish Substitution Guide

So now that I have (hopefully) convinced you that eating seafood is nutritionally important, I want to further reduce the barriers to cooking fish for yourself and your family. As I see it, there are three other common barriers to eating seafood: price, worries about safety and environmental impact, and unfamiliarity with preparation. So I have pulled together a list of fish substitutions and recipes that will help to assuage these anxieties.

I divided the fish up into different categories, grouped by texture and color:

white, lean and firm
white, firm, and oil-rich
medium-color and oil-rich
white, lean, and flaky

Then, within the categories, the different types of fish have been ranked so that the most eco- and people-friendly options (fish that are good for you and the planet) are at the top of the list.

My hope is that you can then use these lists to confidently substitute, as needed, based on price and quality (at whatever balance is best).

Then, once you have got your fish in hand, I have provided some super simple recipes that will help you to explore these different types of seafood with confidence!