The 5 tastiest and healthiest fish.

Fish should be part of a healthy and balanced diet. Despite the increasing consumption of fish and seafood by Poles, we still eat too little of it in relation to demand. See which fish is best to choose.

Agata Brama

Consumption of fish and seafood in Poland is increasing year by year. Despite the growth, compared to other countries, we still lag behind with our statistics. While in 2018-2020 the average per capita consumption of fish in Poland was less than 14 kg, the Portuguese consumed almost 4 times as much (57 kg) and the Spanish more than 2 times as much (39 kg). It pays to work on improving this result, as fish is a particularly valuable source of nutrients in the diet. It is worth eating it if only for their high content of complete protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which are not found in similar amounts in other foods.

Why fish specifically?

Since fish is a source of omega-3 fatty acids, can’t it be replaced with, for example, flaxseed, chia seeds or rapeseed oil? Unfortunately, despite the presence of omega-3 fatty acids in plant-based products, the issue is not so clear.

Omega-3 fatty acids are not one type of fat, but many different fatty acids with similar chemical structures. For the human body, the most important omega-3 fatty acids include: ALA (alpha-lipoic acid), EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). While plant sources of omega-3s are rich in ALA, fish is the main source of EPA and DHA in the human diet. It is these two acids (EPA and DHA) that are responsible for the proper functioning of the brain and nervous system, a healthy heart or lowering inflammation, among other things. A lack of EPA and DHA in the diet can result in an increased risk of metabolic and inflammatory diseases. Therefore, consuming only plant-based sources of omega-3s does not meet the total demand for them.