National Seafood Month
Ellie Wilson
MS, RDN, CDN
Manager, Lifestyles and Wellness
Celebrating #NationalSeafoodMonth is a great time to celebrate family meals! #FAMILYMEALSMOVEMENT. The Family Meals Movement is a national cross-sector initiative to help families enjoy more meals together, which supports healthy growth and weight, better family relationships, less risky behavior, better mental health, and more. ₁ Time is always short for busy families; seafood is a go-to for quick meals that can get on the table in as little as 10 minutes – even if it is coming right out of the freezer! Bonus – seafood is a smart way to add up nutrition benefits that support brain and heart health. ₂ Choices that are high in omega-3’s can help you level up your family meal – learn which seafood items can make dinner a seafood power meal! Find out more here.
Some parents and caregivers may not know how easy it is to cook seafood – it is one of the comments we hear the most from customers who want to eat more but need some tips to get them started. We can make it very easy – our Seafood Teammates can steam your seafood for free! Then, you can take it home and try a sauce or serving ideas:
- Pantry Power – easy Mediterranean mix-up topper for any Seafood – PICS Capers, PICS Sliced Olives and Culinary Tours Sundried Tomatoes are easy to toss together and top any seafood meal.
- Sauce savvy – Tour the Flavors of the World with Culinary Tours Sriracha Ranch, Thai Chili, Tikka Masala, Sesame Teriyaki. Seafood is mild and easy to season – and variety makes it easy to please everyone at the table.
- Pair with your favorite salad kit for a quick prep and clean up meal.
Keeping meals easy and delicious makes magic happen – for everyone, including the cook. Sheet pan meals are a one-pan wonder, savory and satisfying, and quick clean-up. We are sharing some amazing recipes below, with some special ideas for children.
Sheet Pan Orange-Ginger Salmon Foil Packets
Sheet-Pan Honey-Mustard Glazed Salmon with Roasted Vegetables
Tuna Crescent Rolls: Perfect for Toddler Food – This was developed for toddlers, but is a good idea for every age, and with a few ingredient trades, could be a great snack or appetizer. How about “Salmon in a Blanket”? Bite size and fun, they are tempting and tasty! See the recipe below – we kept the yum factor and better-for-you benefits together with reduced fat dough and sodium smart seasoning recommendations.
Fish Dippers with Lemon-Chive Dipping Sauce – A delicious idea for your little seafoodies!
Family favorite in my house – we use Boboli Thin Crust pizza shells and top ours with sliced fresh scallions. Yum! Shrimp Pesto Pizza
#FallinLovewithSeafood – Perfect for Fall – Salmon
The budget battle is always a factor, and eating seasonally is one strategy to shop smart. This Butternut Squash, Salmon and Rice Bowl puts seasonal, savory savings on the table!
Look for seafood sales and recipes on our website, and #EatSeafoodAmerica!
Salmon in a Blanket (adapted from the Seafood Nutrition Partnership)
- Fresh or frozen Market 32 Salmon Filets (defrosted in refrigerator), cut into bite-size pieces.
- PICS Reduced Fat Crescent rolls, each crescent cut in half to make 2 triangles (16 pieces)
- Salt free seasoning – look for options from PICS, Mrs. Dash, Badia, Kinder in the spice section.)
- Additional options: PICS Maple Syrup OR PICS Honey
Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Prepare a sheet pan with a light coating of olive oil, or parchment paper. Unroll the dough and separate each crescent. Slice in half to create 2 triangles. Cut salmon into bite size pieces – approximately 1.5 inches square. Place salmon pieces on the smaller crescent triangles. Season with a dab of honey on each bite, or a sprinkle of fresh or dried herbs. Following the crescent dough rolling directions, roll the salmon into the dough and place on the prepared sheet pan. Cook at 350°F for about 15 minutes. Internal temperature should be 145°F, and dough should be cooked and light brown.
Experiment! This could also be done with frozen/baked phyllo cups or cooked in an air fryer (follow air fryer recommendations for time and check internal temperature for doneness.) Enjoy!
Price Chopper/Market 32 is a recognized #FAMILYMEALS Partner
Ellie Wilson
MS, RDN, CDN
If you are considering how the foods you eat impact your health and the health of our planet, you are not alone. Embracing that holistic approach to ensuring we all have access to healthy food, and ensuring we manage food well from land and sea is key to access now and in the future.
Striving to #EatSeafood2XWeek is recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association. Eating more seafood is a proven way to support heart and brain health, ensure good intake of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, and enjoy easy to season lean, nutrient-rich protein. Seafood is a great choice for pregnant women (see important recommendations here: Advice About Eating Fish). It is also a great starter food for toddlers and young children, with research showing significant positive impact on brain growth and IQ (Seafood Nutrition Partnership). The benefits don’t stop there – building that #Seafood2XWeek routine will fuel your family’s health for life!
Learning more about how seafood fisheries and farms are managed can help you be confident in the choices you make. Farmed and wild seafood are both good choices, as both industries are working with scientists and systems to maximize production while protecting the environment. Our Seafood Team knows sourcing responsibly harvested and farmed fish is good for people and the planet. Our deeply experienced buyers collectively have over 30+ years of experience and have been advocates for ensuring seafood fisheries are actively engaged in sustainable practices. This includes seeking sourcing standards like the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification and supporting fisheries engaged in criteria-driven fishery improvement projects (FIPs), as science and safety continues to drive best practices.
For farmed seafood, the science has become an independent certification our Seafood team relies on to assist with supporting best aquaculture practices and high-quality items. For example, they ensure farmed salmon meet the internationally recognized Best Aquaculture Practices standards – you can learn more here: Best Aquaculture Practices. Look for the certification on Market 32 seafood packages.
Those best practices include careful sourcing of some species from specific areas, such as certified Icelandic Haddock, and Alaskan Snow Crab. Science also ensures seafood is processed and flash frozen as quickly as possible, to preserve flavor, texture and nutrient profile. Cryovac packaging of fresh-frozen fish ensures you can enjoy 1 or all 4 filets when you want to bring the benefits to your table by choosing a Market 32 frozen seafood. Fresh or frozen, flavor, and quality are all ensured by our team – we can’t wait for you to try them all! #EatSeafoodAmerica
National Seafood Month
Ellie Wilson
MS, RDN
Does this sound familiar? It is 4 PM, and you have no idea what to make for dinner. What you do know is you want it to be quick, easy, delicious, and good for you. Seafood may be your new best friend – versatile and vital, full of essential nutrients and easy to season, it can be a big deal for a special evening or a freezer-to-plate problem solver.
Less than 20% of Americans eat the recommended amount of se afood #2XPerWeek, but that is starting to change as culinary curiosity and positive health benefit research across the life span continues to grow. As a group, seafood is nutrient dense, meaning it packs a variety of nutrients into each nourishing bite, depending on the species. Lean protein, brain and heart-health promoting omega-3 fats; vitamins A, B and D, as well as minerals selenium, zinc, iodine, iron, calcium and phosphorous. Together they bring a lot of value in an easy-to-cook package!
Seafood, especially in the Northeast, has a historical role in feeding the indigenous peoples of America, and then European settlers when they arrived. As stated by author Barton Seaver, “seafood was the first economy this country founded, and upon which we took our first steps toward economic and political freedom.” ₁ This was fueled in part by the robust access to North Atlantic cod and intersected with the seeking of religious freedom. Fasting days, which included seafood traditions, were over 150 per year in some religious calendars, and underpinned immigration for religious freedom to the New World for many. Immigration throughout American history has brought many from cultures where seafood was a fundamental element of their cuisine. Seafood was also a mainstay during the World Wars, when other foods were rationed to support troops. Seasonality also has a role – the seas come alive in spring, in time for Lent, the most popular time of year to eat seafood.
The advancement of technology and processing has expanded the options we have for seafood – many of the varieties we carry are wild caught, processed and fresh frozen at sea to maintain the highest quality of delicate flavor and texture. Market 32 frozen filets are individually wrapped in the package, ensuring you can make one or all and enjoy the same great experience. Frozen seafood can be cooked in about 15 minutes, right out of the freezer, so is a perfect staple for busy days. Market 32 Shrimp and Scallops come in various sizes, ready to defrost and enjoy or perfectly prepped to make your favorite recipe. Lobster and crab are the highest quality, and wonderful to bring to a table full of friends and family!
Check out the great sales and watch for recipes and finspiration throughout October, National Seafood Month.
#EatMoreSeafoodAmerica!