I'm on a diet... Should I eat pork? Or mackerel?

Some people believe that it is better to get protein from fish instead of meat when dieting. This is because fish is relatively low in fat, but caution is needed as fish can also be higher in calories than expected.

 

Among fish, oily varieties like mackerel and sardines have higher calorie content than expected. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's food nutrition database, based on a serving of fish (100g), mackerel contains 246kcal, sardines 232kcal, hairtail 149kcal, bluefin tuna 132kcal, anchovies 127kcal, salmon 106kcal, gizzard shad 107kcal, cod 86kcal, pollock 80kcal, and monkfish 63kcal. The calorie content increases if the fish is seasoned or deep-fried.

 

 

Based on 100g, the calorie content of meat is 142kcal for boiled chicken, 289kcal for fried chicken, 204kcal for pork loin, 484kcal for pork belly, 357kcal for beef loin, and 312kcal for beef ribs. When dieting, it may be better to eat chicken rather than mackerel or sardines.

 

Nevertheless, the reason fish is a health food is due to its fat composition. .

 

Fish contains more unsaturated fats than meat. Bluefin tuna has a DHA (a type of omega-3 fatty acid) content reaching 34.6%. Salmon (16.1%) and mackerel (11%) are also rich in DHA. DHA helps with vascular health and prevents dry eyes. It is also known to aid in improving memory and learning ability as it is involved in brain cell development.

 

 

 

When eating fish, you should be careful of polychlorinated biphenyls, which are endocrine disruptors.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the average contamination level of polychlorinated biphenyls by food group from 2012 to 2017 was highest in seafood, followed by livestock products, processed foods, and agricultural products.

Among seafood, it was detected most frequently in whales, gizzard shad, squid, herring, conch, and sandfish.

 

Since polychlorinated biphenyls accumulate significantly in fish skin and internal organs, it is best to remove them before cooking. Boiling is also an option. It is known that boiling reduces the polychlorinated biphenyl content in food more than grilling.