According to health experts, increasing your intake of plant-based foods and seafood is good for your health. Seafood and plant-based nutrition provide the body with much-needed nutrients and are sustainable too.

The UK government recommends having at least 2 portions of seafood per week, with almost half of the population heeding the advice. Although most people pay particular attention/preference to plant-based foods, it would be best to consider seafood as well. Here are 6 good reasons seafood is best for you and the planet.

1. We cannot Produce Omega-3s Naturally

Omega 3 fatty acids are crucial for a wide range of bodily processes and good health, hence vital. These fatty acids help fight depression, dementia, and heart disease and improve overall health. Fortunately or unfortunately, our bodies cannot produce these fatty acids.

We thus can only get these from plants and, more importantly, seafood. Mackerel, salmon, tuna, etc., are some of the best natural sources of omega fatty acids. Increasing your intake of seafood thus puts your body in a better place to fight off common conditions, including arthritis, and joint pains, and promotes healthy skin and hair.

2. Seafood can Provide/Meet the UK’s Dietary and Nutritional Needs

With the country unable to meet the population’s dietary needs, there’s an urgent need to identify ways to boost our food production. The UN predicts that we will need to produce 70% more food to meet our dietary needs by the year 2050. With two-thirds of the world covered by water, better innovation and management can see us producing more than 6 times the food we produce today. Seafood might be the future of keeping the nation fed.

3. Seafood is Rich in Vital Nutrients

Seafood, the especially fish, is a rich source of healthy minerals, vitamins, and other essential nutrients. They are particularly rich in protein and calcium, with relatively low amounts of saturated fats. According to research, seafood provides an excellent source of zinc, iodine, iron, potassium, and magnesium, as well as vitamins A, B, and D.

These are some of the crucial nutrients needed to promote good health and development, especially for growing kids. Having a fish serving at least twice a week can thus help boost your immune system, heart health, eyesight, and brain development. If you’re looking for a tasty and healthy gift for your loved one, you should consider luxury smoked salmon gift ideas.

4. They Have a Low Carbon Footprint

With climate change a main course of concern today, reducing our carbon footprint might be our only way to save the planet. Unknown to many, producing most foods (plant and animal-based) is taxing, sometimes releasing tons of carbon into the atmosphere.

However, studies show that seafood has a lower footprint than plant-based diets. Switching to seafood might help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions significantly. Although you might not know this, producing dairy products, such as cheese, milk, and meat, produces relatively higher greenhouse gases than fishing and producing seafood. While you may not want to alleviate the consumption of red meat altogether, balancing it with seafood might help save the environment.

5. Stocks May Recover, Thanks to Sustainable Fishing

Managing fisheries sustainably can help restore diverse marine life while creating unique ecosystems too. This would also allow endangered marine species to reproduce, recover, and repopulate, providing significant amounts of food.

This, however, means taking proper care of the seas and oceans as well as eliminating the exploitation of natural resources. Overfishing is one of the first things that needs to be curbed to make this possible. Allowing the seas and oceans to repopulate will help provide enough seafood for all, making it possible for stocks to recover in the long run.

6. The Seafood Industry is Evolving

Sustainable fishing has allowed ocean life to repopulate and increase harvests at significant margins. Today, the Norwegian seafood industry has proven that responsible fishing and aquaculture can boost marine life and seafood production. This, however, means eliminating antibiotics in fish (salmon) farming and super-freezing caught fish stocks to keep them fresh and healthy. This leaves you with high-quality seafood at your dinner table.