Is It Good To Eat Cod? Nutrients And Benefits
Taking care of our food is also taking care of our health. In this sense, fish cannot be missing from your diet, and eating cod is an excellent option if you want to invest in health.
Cod is a type of white fish that is very beneficial in a healthy and balanced diet. It is a species typical of cold seas and establishes its habitat at depths of 500 to 600 meters, although it is common for it to swim at about 150 or 200 meters.
Seasonal cod is the one caught from late autumn to spring, although salted, dried, smoked or frozen cod is available throughout the year.
Do you want to know more about this fish? Is it good to eat cod? Here we tell you what its benefits are and how you can prepare it.
Why is it good to eat cod?
Do you like fresh cod? Well, you may be interested in knowing a little about the benefits for our health, as well as its nutritional value and the importance of its nutrients. And, fresh cod is very easy to digest and has little fat content.
It is also rich in minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iodine. This is perhaps one of its most distinctive characteristics, since in just 100 grams of fresh cod we find 170 milligrams of iodine, which can decrease depending on the recipe and its conservation.
The list of benefits for our health is extensive, but we could summarize them as follows:
- Improves the functioning of the nervous system and muscle activity
- Regulates the water balance inside and outside the cell due to the presence of potassium.
- Increases the phosphorus present in our teeth and bones.
- It favors the formation of red blood cells in the blood; the synthesis of genetic material and improves the functioning of the nervous system, thanks to the fact that it contains the precious B vitamins.
Nutritional value of fresh cod
Other nutrients that we find in 100 grams of fresh cod are:
- 17.68 g of protein
- 1.01 g fat
- 352 mg potassium
- 190 mg of purines
- 89 mg sodium
- 26 mg calcium
- 24 mg magnesium
- 0.40 mg zinc
- 0.32 mg of iron
- 2 mg of vitamin C
- 1 mg of vitamin E,
- 5.15 mg of vitamin B3
- 0.20 mg of vitamin B6
- 0.06 mg of vitamin B1
- 0.05 mg of vitamin B2
Compared to other fresh fish, cod has a high sodium content. However, when compared to other foods rich in this mineral such as cheeses (500-1,000 mg) or canned fish themselves (500-800 mg), the amount of sodium present in cod is not relevant.
On the other hand, salted cod provides higher amounts of sodium (up to 8,100 mg per 100 grams), since salt is used as a preservative. Therefore, people with hypertension or fluid retention can consume fresh cod, and salted cod, as long as it is thoroughly desalted.
How to prepare it
In the market, cod can be found in different ways; fresh, salted, smoked or frozen, which means that its methods of production are very varied and it is possible to taste this fish at any time of the year.
The possibilities of preparing cod are endless and as varied as the region in which it is cooked. Steamed, microwaved, baked, fried or grilled cod loins or fillets allow you to enjoy the flavor of this nutritious fish.
Likewise, it can be used as an ingredient to make original salads, prepare fish paella or cook the famous chickpea stew with cod and spinach.
Suggestions for the little ones
Cod is a fish with a pleasant flavor, but more marked than other white fish. This can be a plus for kids to like it. In fact, one of the reasons they reject fish is the lack of flavor of some of them, compared to that of, for example, a pork or beef fillet.
Cod can be eaten in a variety of ways, thus increasing the chances of pleasing the palate of the little ones in the house. Both the croquettes, the meatballs, the omelette and, why not, some loins cooked with a sauce that makes the dish more cheerful and attractive can be the right choices.
Finally, there is no doubt that cod is a fish that provides many health benefits. For this reason, we hope that these tips on how to prepare it will be useful to you and that you will start eating cod more often.
