Fish n Chips

Hey what are the best fish to eat from a fish and chips store. I feel like going to get something from there for lunch today???

Definately whiting or flathead.

Hmm. I have blue grenadier, but that's cos it's yum, not necessarily cos it's better for pregnant women or anything :)
I think some types of fish have higher levels of mercury or something in them than other types, and so I've heard/read you should limit that to once every week or fortnight. I think I've also read that fish is fine/good a couple of times a week!
So there's definitely some conflicting advice re: fish-eating going around. Like there is about every type of food :rolleyes:
But just for lunch, I don't think it would matter what you had, as long as it was cooked through..I might be messaging too late for today's lunch anyway :p

how about flake?

if you check out the NSW food authority's website they actually have a section on there which details which kind of fish and how often. I found this really helpful :)

If you are worried about toxins in fish, stay away from the larger types of fish (shark etc) because they take longer to reach a large size, therefore having time to ingest toxins into their systems. If you eat smaller types of fish (whiting, flathead, bream, trout etc) they do not need as long to grow to size IYKWIM?

Ive been having flathead and its really nice. Just stay away from Shakr, Swordfish and my book tells me Baramundi.

I only like flake and did have it a few times during pg. I think as long as you have no more than one piece every 2-3 weeks that is ok. (someone correct me if I am wrong)

Hi, I am a huge seafood lover and ate alot of seafood through out my pregnancy. The thing you have to be careful of with fish and chip shops is pre battered fish that has been left to sit in the cold section of the counter - where they have the salads etc as you can get food poisoning. I got food poisoning, (thankfully it was prior to being pregnant) from a local fish and chip shop through them using pre battered fish, the shop in question bought their fish frozen, already battered. I now check with each shop to make sure that there seafood is fresh and it comes straight out of the fridge. I really love seafood and went and had a chat with the manager of my local fresh fish market to find out what was safe to eat and what wasn't as far as mercury goes, they were a huge help and much more knowlegeable than my local GP, lol. I found out through the local fish market that alot of fish and chip shops give a variety of names to the same fish. For eg, some shops list, Shark, Flake & Hake as separate fish when they are all the same. Have a chat with your local fish monger, I found mine to be really helpful.

Sharon

Yeah, I thought "flake" was shark... that's why i never eat it (high in mercury) ... it's usually the cheapest and most common fish in Fish 'n Chip shops though. I've moved on from liking huge pieces covered in batter as well... I prefer something like flathead which has been grilled... so much yummier, healthier and doesn't leave you with that bloated feeling. I also love calamari rings :)

hmm... I ate Barramundi during pg.. coz it's a river fish. I was of the understanding we should stay away from ocean fish, as they're the ones with the mercury.

Anyway, I only had it a couple of times, and coz Im not a big seafood eater, it wasn't a big issue. I think it's a problem when you eat it regularly.

I love barramundi... and not being able to eat it duringpregnancy was pure torture... but i ate it anyway. I figured, it was a one off and it wasnt as if i was drinking/smoking/taking drugs etc. I think fish would have to be eaten in large, regular amounts for it to really be drastically harmful? Maybe for vegetarians perhaps that only eat fish?
BTW- The barramundi i had was beautiful, and i dont regret eating it !!

LOL vegetarians don't eat any animal, including fish, but I know what you mean Lisa, we don't eat red meat (mammals)... only eat chicken and fish and every pregnancy I crave sushi hand rolls with salmon. But I only buy them from this particularly clean, busy, high-turnover outlet. I think this is important for people buying fish 'n chips too... only go for ones that are always busy so the fish isn't left lying around too long. And regarding eating large end-of-the-food-chain fish (like shark/tuna etc) that contain high levels of mercury... I agree, a couple of servings a week wouldn't matter... just don't eat it every day.

lol... i thought it was only vegans that didnt eat any animals !! can you tell im a meat eater??? lol

:) Ah LOL, vegans don't eat anything that is derived from an animal source... this include cow/goat milk or anything (cow) dairy like butter, or eggs. I used to have a few vegan friends and it's not that hard these days to eat well as a vegan... they can join in at a BBQ with sausages made from tofu that look like real sausages and have quite a nice smokey flavour too. With all the chemicals,steroids and antibiotics pumped into farmed animals these days, and the pollutants in fish it's no wonder people are choosing the vegan option not just for ethical reasons but for health reasons... even if it's just for a temporary "detox".

Well after all this fish and chip talk, I had grilled blue grenadier, 2 dim sims and a pineapple fritter last night! Mmm...

The Australian Dietary Guidelines advise eating one or two meals with fish every week for good health. Pregnant women can safely eat one or two meals of fish each week but they should choose the type of fish carefully.

Avoid fish with high levels of mercury - these are billfish (swordfish, broadbill and marlin), shark (flake), orange roughy (sea perch), gemfish, southern blue fin tuna and catfish.
Limit other fish, such as tuna steaks, to one portion per week or two 140g cans of tuna per week (smaller tuna contain less mercury).
There is no restriction needed on the amount of salmon, including canned salmon, which is eaten.

WELL... you ahve all been sucha great help i guess i shall stop eating the flake i eat probs i a fortnight lol and change my choice of fish now i ahve more of an idea what i can and can't eat in seafood. Thanks girlies