Blog

Enjoying Seafood in a Land-locked State


March 28, 2016 | Christine Hradek

piece of salmon

I have an uncle who worked for years as a sea captain. He is retired now, but has many stories of his time traveling the world on a tanker ship. He often says you should not eat certain seafood unless you are within ‘spitting distance’ of the ocean. Please pardon the picture that might put in your head!

I always found that funny as a child and as an adult I have come to wonder if it is really true. We in Iowa live in a land-locked state, so access to fresh seafood from the ocean is pretty limited. Fresh seafood is very expensive here and by the time it arrives in Iowa it needs to be prepared very quickly to maintain quality and food safety. Most of us don’t have the resources to work with that kind of product. Instead, we make use of frozen options. But is frozen fish really as good as fresh?

Frozen fish is similar to frozen vegetables in that they are frozen immediately upon harvest so the product’s freshness and quality is preserved very well. In fact, wild caught fish is often frozen right on board the ship when it is caught. Fresh seafood that is harvested in this part of the country like catfish and trout may be available fresh at a reasonable price, particularly during certain times of year. However, frozen seafood is a great option year round.


Christine Hradek

Christine Hradek is a State Nutrition Specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. She coordinates ISU’s programs which help families with low income make healthy choices with limited food budgets. Christine loves helping families learn to prepare healthy foods, have fun in the kitchen and save money. In her spare time, Christine enjoys cooking, entertaining and cheering on her favorite college football teams with her family and friends.

More Posts