People interested in dieting certainly know that among the many fish species there are not so many that, having low cholesterol, have low calorie content.
If we carefully study the calorie table of basic food products in the fish and seafood section, then we will immediately see that the pollock occupies a special place in it, the calorie content of which is so low that in this indicator it is inferior only to trepangs, crab meat and macrus. But unlike these sea delicacies, pollock has a distinct advantage, being a truly folk product - it is not a problem to find it on sale in almost all large stores anywhere in immense Russia and the CIS countries, and it is quite inexpensive.
What kind of fish is pollock and how to recognize it?
To begin with, pollock is a widespread commercial semi-deep-sea fish (habitat depth on average up to 300 m), which belongs to the cod family. It is found in the cold seas of the predominantly Pacific basin - the Bering, Japanese, Okhotsk, Chukchi, but is also found in the Barents Sea (Atlantic pollock).
The fish has a narrow elongated body, the color of the back is dark brown, with a spotty pattern in the upper half, the abdomen is light, eyes are large, the upper jaw is shorter than the lower. The body length of an adult is about 45 cm (the fish reaches this size in about three to four years of growth), but occasionally long-lived pollock, whose body length can reach a meter, are also found. The weight of the average commercial size individual is 1.5-4.5 kg.
What are the beneficial properties of pollock and pollock products?
Pollock, being a sea fish, is rich in such elements necessary for the human body as phosphorus, fluorine, iodine. It contains potassium, cobalt, sulfur. From vitamins - PP.
According to nutritionists, pollock is recognized as an indispensable product for the diet of people who monitor their health, and is also recommended for patients suffering from obesity and gastrointestinal diseases. Fish pollock calorie content is only 72 kcal.
Pollock caviar is considered to be a valuable product , from which delicious caviar oil is prepared , but you can also find salted caviar, as well as a liver that is not inferior in quality to the famous cod liver, which contains even more vitamin A and fat, which are so necessary for healthy skin, nails, hair, as well as gums and teeth.
In the fast food industry, white pollock meat is often used to make surimi (this is a ground homogeneous mass that is used to imitate seafood, in particular crab sticks). Canned pollock is also widespread, the calorie content here, of course, will be different.
Recognizing these foods as dietary is hardly possible (or with a big stretch), since pollock fish has a low calorie content, and products from it contain various additives, preservatives and coloring substances.
It should be noted that diet-valuable fish of pollock come to the consumer mainly in frozen form (fillet) and partly in dried-dried. On the basis of fresh or fresh-frozen raw materials, you can cook a lot of low-calorie and very easy to prepare dishes. Below is one of the many cooking options for "Pollock boiled", the calorie content of which is only 79 Kcal per 100 g.
The recipe for a diet dish "Pollock boiled"
Take 100 g of fresh (or thawed) fish (back), rinse, peel, divide into portions. Peel medium sized carrots and small sized onions. Cut vegetables into rings or strips. After laying the fish pieces in a deep pan or pan, add water, bring to a boil, add slightly stewed vegetables, add salt and, reducing the heat, cook for another 5-7 minutes. Before serving, put the boiled fish on a plate, pour with melted butter (1/3 teaspoon), decorate with fresh herbs. Instead of salt, you can add soy sauce to the dish, which will add piquancy and spice to the neutral taste of the fish. You can also add your favorite spices to the dish.
In conclusion, we note once again that the use of low-calorie fish is useful from all points of view (excluding cases of individual intolerance to fish products, and, fortunately, there are few such people). Eat pollock, calories will be burned instantly, and you will not only get the microelements and vitamins necessary for the body, but at the same time protect yourself from gaining excess weight.