Fish are healthy food but let’s be real — they stink and they taste… well, they taste fishy. And that’s often more than enough to turn people off.

There are a number of benefits to eating fish but these benefits are often overshadowed by the smell and taste of fish. Fish smell so much more than meats because their tissue contains a chemical known as trimethylamine oxide. This chemical is odorless, but once the fish is killed and the tissue is exposed to air, this chemical is broken down by bacteria into derivatives of ammonia, and that’s why fish smell bad.

Now, here’s an alternative — or rather, a variant of fish that doesn’t smell as bad and doesn’t taste as fishy — tilapia.

Tilapia is a variety of white fish that’s mild-flavored, inexpensive, and easy to farm. This makes it ideal for people who don’t like that fishy smell and taste. Tilapia is also the fourth most consumed type of seafood in the United States. It is currently being farmed in 135 countries.

Now, why should this inexpensive and widely-available fish be part of your diet?

  • It’s great for weight loss — Tilapia is high in protein and low in fat and calories. Fish is often recommended to people who want to lose weight without depriving their bodies of essential nutrients (as is the case with crash diets). It’s a great way to reduce your caloric intake, especially if you’re the type of person who doesn’t like fish.
  • It keeps your heart healthy — This fish serves as a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. These acids are notably attributed to being able to lower cholesterol levels. Furthermore, these acids reduce the effects of omega-6 fatty acids on the body. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
  • Literal brain food — Tilapia not only contains a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, but also a lot of potassium, which has been found to have a directly proportional relationship with brain power and increased neurological functionality. This is because potassium increases the levels of oxygen that is supplied to your brain.
  • Bone development — Phosphorous is a mineral that is essential to bone growth and development. As such, this mineral is also known to prevent osteoporosis and helps strengthen your bones, teeth, and nails. Tilapia has been found to contain copious amounts of phosphorous.
  • Prolonged youthfulness —
    Tilapia also contains selenium. Selenium helps stimulate the production of vitamin C and vitamin E, which are both vital to keeping your skin looking and feeling healthy. This antioxidant contributes greatly to the reduction of wrinkles, sagging skin, and dark spots.

 

What’s also great about tilapia is that it’s not only easy to cook, it can also be cooked in a wide variety of ways. Here are a few tilapia recipes that should make for tasty meals or try this beer-battered fish recipe (which is also great on onion rings!)

A word of caution though, these fish are known to consume the toxins in the water. So, it’s imperative that you only buy tilapia from reputable farms that ensure that the fish are clean and healthy.