All Salmon Are Not Created Equal

Salmon is a great source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. It's great for you heart, your brain, your skin and your joints. But, are all salmon created equal and is there such a thing as good salmon and bad salmon?

If you buy salmon at the supermarket, chances are, you are getting it from a fish farm. Farmed fish is anything but healthy because: The salmon are hatched in plastic trays, in crowded unsanitary underwater cages and fattened with soybean pellets. They are dosed with antibiotics and pesticides, and injected with synthetic dye that gives them their pink color. Without the dye, their flesh would appear pale gray and unappetizing. The fish-farming industry claims that this provides a healthy food at a reasonable price and protects wild salmon from overfishing.

First the facts are that farmed fish are fattier than wild salmon and contain two-thirds less of the omega-3 fats!

Second, studies show that farmed salmon contain much higher levels of cancer-causing PCBs and dioxins than wild salmon.

Third, farmed salmon contain more antibiotic residue than eggs, meat or any other farm-raised animal products. This antibiotic use has created resistant strains of bacteria that are killing the other fish in the ocean!

Fourth, the pesticides used by salmon farms are killing shellfish and other bottom-dwelling sea creatures.

Fifth, the pink dye used on the salmon contains canthaxanthin, an ingredient used in sunless tanning pills that has since been banned for human use!

Don't buy your food to save money - buy quality fish from a reputable fish market. Wild salmon is readily available, but the price is usually the give-away indicator: Sockeye Salmon usually sells in excess of $12/lb. and is dark red - the color of most beef. When in doubt, ask the waiter or the store manager and remember that poison at any price is unacceptable.

At the same time, you might want to consider that the average size of a serving of wild salmon is about 6 ounces. If you buy about 3/4 pound of wild salmon the cost will probably be about $9 for two servings. Where would you find a restaurant selling any fish fry for less that $5 a plate?

Preparation is easy: I buy the salmon with the skin on and examine the color. Pat it dry, then spray it with an omega 3 margarine and a sprinkle of hickory flavoring with some paprika and a squeeze of natural fresh lemon. Place the wild salmon on a non-stick surface with fine holes to prevent the fish from falling through to the heated surface of the grill. Preheat the grill to a medium heat and place the non-stick plate with the fish on the grill. Set your timer for about 10 - 15 minutes. The fish should be finished when the flesh flakes and turns from dark red to a light pink. Remove the wild salmon by taking a large spatula and getting under the fish - just above the skin. Place it in your platter and let it rest for about 5 minutes. It's delicious, tasty, and healthy as well as a good buy. The devil's is in the details - know what you're getting for your money.