NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF PRAWNS
Because of their many nutritional
benefits, prawns are considered by a variety of health experts to be among the healthiest
foods in the world. Prawns are a great source of high quality protein, and
provide some of the most important vitamins and minerals that make up a healthy
diet. They are surprisingly low in calories and are made up of extremely
healthy cholesterol. In fact, according to the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition, eating prawns is part of a heart healthy diet. And because
they are common throughout the world, there are healthy prawn dishes within
almost every style or type of cuisine.
Eating prawns regularly will
provide the following nutritional benefits:
- Eating prawns
provides a complete protein, which means it includes all nine amino acids
in the right proportion for the body to function properly. In fact, 100
grams of prawns contains about 25 grams of protein, approximately the same
as a similar amount of chicken or beef.
- Prawns are
extremely low in calories. The same 100 grams of prawns contains only
about 115 calories. Chicken contains about twice as much and beef three
times as much.
- While prawns
contain higher than average amounts of cholesterol, they do not lead to
higher cholesterol levels in the body due to their healthy fat profile.
This is because they contain almost three times more Omega 3 Fatty Acid
than they do Omega 6 Fatty Acid. Studies have shown that foods with high
amounts of Omega 3 are associated with reduced risk of heart attacks and
lower blood pressure. In fact, the cholesterol contained in prawns is
vital for a healthy diet.
- Prawns are a great
source of Vitamins B-6, B-12 and Niacin, which help the body produce
energy, build muscle and replenish red blood cells.
- Prawns contain
significant amounts of iron, a mineral that is essential for the body to
effectively distribute oxygen. And because it is in only a few types of
food, iron deficiencies that cause severe exhaustion are surprisingly
widespread, especially for women.
- Prawns are a rich
source of selenium, one of the most effective antioxidants at maintaining
healthy cells. They also contain high levels of Zinc, which is important
to develop a healthy immune system
- Eating prawns helps
build strong bones because they contain phosphorous, copper and magnesium.
It is
important to note that a small percentage of people have a strong allergy to
prawns, so if you find that you react negatively you should immediately contact
a doctor. The healthiest ways to cook prawns are to steam, boil, bake or grill
them. And because of their relatively neutral taste profile, prawns make up the
base protein in an extremely diverse set of healthy and tasty meals.
Spicy Seafood Stew (Fisherman Pepper Soup)
Fisherman Pepper Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 Large sized Tilapia fish
- 500g fresh shrimps, deveined
- 250g fresh Prawns
- Crabs (optional)
- Calamari rings (optional)
- Fresh lobsters (optional)
- 2 Tbsp Canola or any heart healthy
oil of choice
- 1 medium-sized onion
- 3-5 Fresh garlic cloves, grated
- 1 finger fresh Ginger, grated
- 2 Red Bell Peppers (Tastashe)
- 10 Scotch Bonnet (Ata rodo)
- 5 Chilli pepper (this adds to
the hotness)
- 6-8 large sized fresh tomatoes
- Oregano powder
- Thyme
- 1 Tbsp pepper (preferably
black)
- A handful of fresh scent leaves
(effirin), washed and chopped
- Pepper-soup spice (optional)
- Seasoning cubes and salt for
taste.
Directions:
Step One: For fish preparation, clean fish thoroughly
and fillet. If you can’t go through the rigours of filleting, just cut your
fish into chunks. Here’s a trick that works for me when cooking fish – pour
some hot water over the fish before cleaning, add a bit of salt and leave to
sit for not more than 5 minutes. You’ll be surprised at how firm the fish
becomes by the time you bring it out. This trick works perfectly with catfish
too. It makes it a lot easier to clean and certainly gets rid of its slime.
Season fish fillets
and other washed sea-foods with salt, thyme and seasoning cubes in separate
bowls. Set aside
Also blend washed
tomatoes and peppers then set aside for stew base.
Step Two: In a pot, pour oil over medium heat until
hot. Add sliced onions and sauté for about 3 minutes then add grated garlic.
Keep sautéing for another minute then stir in your blended stew base. Add
a dash of oregano powder and pepper soup spice (if using), cover and leave to
boil over high heat. Once it starts boiling, reduce heat to low and check broth
consistency. If too thick now is the best time to add some water. Allow to boil
again before adding fish fillet and shrimps. Leave to cook for 4-5 minutes.
Then taste for salt and also. Once the fish is in, be careful not to stir the
soup. To mix ingredients as you put them in, simply shake the pot lightly.
Crabs take a quite
longer to cook, so if using add them in first and allow to cook for about
5minutes before the fish.
Lastly, add the scent leaves,
reduce heat to lowest and allow simmering for just about 2 minutes.
Your
fisherman stew is ready! Serve hot as a dip for bread or as sauce with boiled
rice, yam, plantain or even potatoes. If for light dinner, simply enjoy as a
stand alone meal.
+2348074926468.
Pharex Global Ventures Foods.
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