General information about herring
Ocean herring is a valuable commercial fish that lives primarily in shallow waters in temperate zones.
It is more common along the northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It is a predator and important prey linking primary producers with the highest level consumers: large fish, seabirds and mammals. Herring is one of the cleanest fish products: it concentrates a small amount of highly toxic substances and produces low greenhouse gas emissions.
Calorie content and composition
Herring is a good source of protein and healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Per 100 g of product there is an average of 17.2 g of protein and 12.3 g of triglycerides. No carbohydrates or dietary fiber (fiber) were found in the fillet. The total calorie content of fish is 178.7 kcal. Herring is perceived as an important component of a balanced diet due to its high concentration of unsaturated fats, the content of which reaches 80% in the composition of lipids. The most valuable of them are docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acids from the omega-3 family.
Micronutrient analysis showed that herring fillets are enriched in sodium and potassium. It also includes high concentrations of iron, calcium, manganese and selenium. The predominant vitamins are cyanocobalamins (B12), calciferols (D) and tocopherols (E).
Beneficial features
Omega-3 fatty acids combined with protein and microelements have a beneficial effect on the body.
Herring reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
Including herring in the diet provides the following potential health benefits:
- reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular pathologies;
- slowing down inflammatory processes;
- strengthening immunity;
- strengthening the musculoskeletal system;
- maintaining energy metabolism;
- restoration of normal weight;
- reducing the risk of developing cancer.
Is it possible to eat salty foods and if not, why?
Various methods of losing excess weight require you to give up certain types of foods. There are also dietary options that involve limiting salt intake. It is believed to prevent weight loss due to its ability to retain fluid in the body.
When asked whether it is possible to eat salty foods while losing weight, experts say that you do not need to give up the seasoning completely; some products containing it can be consumed during a diet.
General information
Salt is a substance necessary for the body. But people often abuse this seasoning, adding it to all dishes in large quantities. In this case, salt is definitely harmful to the body and will not help you lose weight in any way. After all, the daily norm of its consumption is quite small - only 4 grams.
For people suffering from hypertension, it is even less - up to 1 g. If you adhere to the norm, the seasoning will not interfere with weight loss, but will only help maintain good health.
One of the main reasons why you should not eat a lot of salty foods when losing weight is that this food product promotes fluid retention in the body. Therefore, those losing weight often try to remove it from the menu altogether.
Of course, if the substance is completely eliminated from the diet, the body will begin to rapidly lose weight. This happens due to the fact that excess liquid leaves, as the salt no longer holds it back. But after the seasoning returns to the menu, the kilograms will begin to add again, so the effect of such weight loss is short-lived.
In addition, a lack of salt in the body can lead to disruption of the water-salt balance. Therefore, in order to maintain health and not prevent you from losing your figure, you need to follow the norm and not add salt to every dish. After all, many products already contain sufficient amounts of this substance.
cucumbers
This vegetable is rich in various vitamins and also contains fiber. In addition, it contains many minerals. Therefore, during the diet you can eat both raw and pickled cucumbers. But it is better to exclude pickled fruits, since vinegar negatively affects such a rich composition, reducing its value.
Although pickles are allowed for weight loss, you must follow the norm for their consumption and not overeat. You should eat no more than 200 grams of vegetables per day. It is also recommended to eat cucumbers in the morning or afternoon, and avoid them at night, as they can cause swelling. It is also worth remembering that only homemade pickles are suitable for diet food, since store-bought pickles may contain harmful preservatives and dyes.
Features of eating herring during a diet
During the diet, it is important to cook fish correctly: stew or bake. It is not allowed to eat fried dishes made from it, because... Due to heat treatment, the product accumulates dangerous trans fats. Salted fish, which provokes the appearance of edema, can also interfere with rapid weight loss.
Salted fish can interfere with rapid weight loss.
When preparing a dietary dish, an ungutted carcass is soaked in water for 12-24 hours.
If you use milk, the meat will become more tender. Soaking should be carried out in a closed, opaque container in a cool place.
Fish selection criteria
When buying a frozen product, you need to pay attention to the date of catch and the size of the carcass. Herring caught in October or November is considered the most delicious and healthy. At this time, she is preparing for spawning and is full of vitality. You should choose fish weighing at least 350 g with whole skin and clear eyes.
When buying a herring, you need to look at the elasticity of the body and the color of the scales.
When buying fresh or salted, you need to be guided by the following characteristics:
- the presence of solid fins and tail;
- elastic surface of the body, on which no dents remain after pressing with a finger;
- uniform color of scales without yellow spots;
- lack of excess mucus on the skin;
- smell without signs of spoilage.
Video tips
If you want to get confused and fillet the fish first, I advise you to first watch the video:
Irina Polyanitsa
My name is Irina, I am the owner and administrator of the site, as well as the author of most of the recipes and articles. I love to cook simple and healthy delicacies. Certified gym instructor, personal trainer. She completed a course on nutrition and health at Stanford University, Stanford Introduction to Food and Health, as well as a course at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy (about nutrition and lifestyle during pregnancy).
Healthy recipes with herring for cooking at home
In terms of the variety of processing methods, no fish can surpass herring. In Europe, most of the catch is marinated and smoked. In eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, the nets mainly catch young fish, which are canned like sardines. Freshly caught fish is also salted, baked, stewed, fried and fermented.
Herring can be combined with any food; many delicious and healthy dishes can be prepared using it.
Baked in foil
Herring baked in foil is the easiest product to prepare.
The dish turns out juicy and aromatic. The following components will be required per serving:
- gutted herring - 2 pcs.;
- tomatoes - 2 pcs.;
- butter - 5 g;
- salt, ground black pepper - to taste.
Herring baked in foil is very easy to prepare.
The fish is washed in cold running water and cleaned of scales. Longitudinal cuts are made on the sides and the insides are greased with butter. The product is seasoned with salt and pepper, then placed on foil and covered with tomato slices. Wrap the package tightly and bake at 180°C for 15 minutes.
Stew with fish
Fish fillet in combination with stewed vegetables becomes even more nutritious and healthy.
Inexpensive and accessible components are used for its preparation. Ingredients for the stew:
- herring fillet - 4 pcs.;
- milk - 100 ml;
- fresh mushrooms - 100 g;
- onion - 1 pc.;
- cherry tomatoes - 5 pcs.;
- tomato paste - 75 g;
- olive oil - 1 tbsp;
- salt - to taste;
- freshly ground black pepper - to taste.
Fish stew is a nutritious and healthy dish.
Place the fillet in a wide pan, add milk and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
Fry the chopped onion in a frying pan until softened, then add the chopped mushrooms and continue cooking until browned. Without turning off the heat, add chopped tomatoes and tomato puree. The mixture is seasoned with salt and pepper. The finished fillet is cut into cubes and added to the stew. Extinguishing continues for another 10-15 seconds. The dish is served to the table immediately.
Ear
Aromatic, rich ukha is a classic dish of Russian cuisine.
Moderately fatty herring is well suited for preparing such a nutritious dish. Products:
- fresh herring - 1 pc.;
- potatoes - 700 g;
- onion - 50 g;
- carrots - 120 g;
- water - 2 l;
- greens - to taste;
- bay leaf - to taste;
- black pepper and allspice peas, sea salt - to taste.
The soup turns out aromatic and rich.
Vegetables are cut into cubes and boiled in boiling water until tender, then spices are added. The herring is washed, cleaned and cut into small pieces. Place the fish in boiling water and continue to cook the soup over medium heat for no more than 15 minutes. Then let the ear brew for 10 minutes. The hot soup is poured into bowls, sprinkled with herbs and served.
Cutlets
Herring cutlets are prepared quickly and easily.
They can be served with any side dishes and sauces. Ingredients:
- herring fillet - 490 g;
- beef lard - 140 ml;
- chicken egg - 1 pc.;
- onion - 50 g;
- sea salt - 10 g;
- ground black pepper - 2 pinches;
- vegetable oil - 120 g.
The herring is cut into small pieces. Then the onion is cut and, together with the fillet, passed through a meat grinder. Egg and spices are added to the minced meat. Transfer the finished mixture into a bag and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
The cutlets cook very quickly.
At the final stage, round cutlets are formed from the minced meat. The pieces are fried for 4 minutes on each side. The dish is served with potatoes and herbs.
Rolls with lingonberries
Sweet, sour and slightly tart, lingonberries are suitable for making seasonings that go well with game and fish.
Herring, served with juicy bright red berries, will decorate the dinner table. Products for cooking:
- herring fillet - 500 g;
- fresh lingonberries - 50 g;
- walnuts - 50 g;
- onion - 50 g;
- dried herbs - 5 g;
- freshly ground black pepper - to taste;
- sea salt - to taste;
- butter for frying.
Lingonberry rolls go well with fish.
The lingonberries are washed and dried. Berries, nuts and herbs are crushed using a blender. Finely chopped onion is fried until transparent and added to the ground mixture. At the end, add spices. The finished composition is used as a filling.
Herring fillets are washed and dried. Place the pieces of fish on a cutting board skin side down, spread the filling on top and roll them up. The dish is baked in a heat-resistant bag at a temperature of 180°C for no more than 25 minutes.
Fish baked with eggs
Fish fillet with egg is a double portion of easily digestible protein and healthy fats.
The dish is high in calories, but in small quantities it is suitable for a diet. Ingredients:
- fish fillet - 120 g;
- chicken egg - 1 pc.;
- sour cream - 20 g;
- fresh herbs, ground black pepper - to taste;
- butter - 10 g.
Fish baked with eggs contains healthy fats.
Make a mixture based on a chicken egg and sour cream with the addition of half the herbs and spices. Place fish fillets in a heat-resistant form, greased with oil, and pour the prepared mixture over it.
The dish is baked at 180°C for 25-30 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle the herring with the remaining herbs.
Borscht with herring
This dish has an original taste and aroma.
The wide variety of vegetables and herbs in its composition is an additional source of vitamins and microelements. Ingredients:
- partial fish fillet - 120 g;
- fresh herring - 40 g;
- porcini mushrooms - 100 g;
- beets - 150 g;
- carrots - 50 g;
- white cabbage - 100 g;
- onion - 50 g;
- parsley root - 20 g;
- fresh greens - to taste;
- vegetable oil - for frying.
Borscht with herring has an original taste.
Boiled mushrooms and cabbage are finely chopped. The beets are baked and, after cooling, chopped into strips. Carrots, onions and parsley root are chopped and fried. Cabbage is chopped.
Bring the mushroom broth to a boil, add cabbage and cook over low heat. After 10 minutes, add beets, fried vegetables, mushrooms and fillet cut into small pieces. After 15 minutes, immerse the herring in the soup and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle it with fresh herbs.
Storage conditions and shelf life
Suppliers state that the herring shelf life is 12 months if storage conditions are met.
However, even properly frozen fish begins to deteriorate after 10 months: fats gradually turn rancid, smell and taste deteriorate. Fresh herring is best eaten on the day it is caught or purchased. If you need to preserve it, then the gutted carcasses should be cut into small pieces, adding a little onion and vegetable oil to them, put them in glass jars and put them in the refrigerator.
Main beneficial properties
Yes, diabetics can diversify their menu with herring, but not often!
Tasty herring is acceptable for diabetes mellitus, but only with some features:
- Choose not too fatty fish in the store.
- The herring carcass must be soaked in water to remove excess salt.
- For marinating, use other types of lean fish that can “ripen” and are no less appetizing when marinated (silver carp, halibut, cod, pike perch, haddock, pollock, pike, sea bass). They are no less tasty in marinade and are easily digestible.
The shelf life and storage conditions of herring depend on its type - frozen fish can be stored for up to six months in the freezer, provided that the product is not defrosted and re-frozen.
Fish is best stored in brine. After you have bought the herring, take a large jar, put the herring in it and fill it with brine. You can prepare the marinade yourself, so the product will definitely not spoil. The shelf life of herring is no more than 5 days.
Do you need to extend the shelf life of your herring for a longer time? You need to freeze it, but first do not forget to clean the fish, cut it into pieces and put it in an airtight package. This way you will increase the shelf life by six months. Do not try to store herring in plain packaging, otherwise the product will oxidize.
