Food - Drink
Why You Should Think Twice Before Buying Seafood At The Grocery Store
By KAREN GRECO
Most fish are delicious and nutritious with high amounts of omega-3 fats and vitamin D; seafood can even lower your risk of heart disease by 36%. However, the average American doesn't consume as much fish as they should, making it a less popular protein that doesn't have very high turnover in supermarkets.
Low turnover means that a supermarket's seafood stock tends to sit around and get stale, so independently-owned fish markets are a wiser shopping choice. Their shorter supply chain means fresher fish with more variety, and shopping small helps your local economy because your money is spent on your community.
No matter where you shop, Esquire recommends buying whole fish with bright eyes, since cloudy eyes indicate age, and never buy fish that smells "fishy" or faintly of ammonia. Esquire says to purchase live lobsters and crabs only, and make sure the shells of your clams, oysters and mussels are firmly closed.