Many seafood salads include unhealthy ingredients such as mayonnaise or oils. A variety of healthy ingredients can replace these high fat additions so your seafood salad can provide nutrition as well as taste. Creating a salad using ingredients such as vegetables or fruits can complement the seafood so you do not even miss the fat-laden ingredients common in many seafood salads.
Citrus Fruits
Lemon is a common addition in many seafood salads, notes Mark Bittman, author of "The Best Recipes in the World," but any type of citrus fruit pairs well with fish, shrimp, crab, lobster and scallops. Arrange your chosen seafood on a bed of leafy greens, such as spinach or romaine lettuce, and squeeze a generous amount of lemon juice on top. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and you will not need to add salad dressing. Other citrus fruits work well also. Try adding a few grapefruit segments to a lobster salad or add orange slices to a shrimp salad. A combination of citrus fruits will give your seafood a blend of sour and and sweet tastes as well as a dose of vitamin C.
Nuts
Nuts will add some crunch and texture to your seafood salad. Avner Laskin and Danya Weiner, authors of "Nuts: More Than 75 Delicious & Healthy Recipes," report that nuts can be part of a heart-healthy diet and can enhance many different recipes, including seafood. You can turn shrimp and calamari rings into a healthy salad by adding ginger, scallions, fish sauce and cashews. Walnuts, almonds and pecans are other varieties of nuts that will enhance the texture of your seafood and help create a satisfying meal. Toss spinach, shrimp and almonds with lemon juice or layer lobster and crab meat on a bed of spinach and top with toasted walnuts.
Avocado
Avocado is a heart-healthy food that can replace the creamy texture of mayonnaise. Roy Yamaguchi, John Harrisson and John Demello, authors of "Roy's Fish and Seafood: Recipes from the Pacific Rim," suggest that avocado can complement a shrimp and tropical fruit salad. Add cooked shrimp to a plate filled with spinach, peeled papaya and cubed avocado for a salad that varies in textures and tastes. The avocado will supply unsaturated fats, which can help improve the health of your heart. Avocado can also be paired with lobster or crab and other tropical fruits, such as kiwi, pineapple and mango on a bed or romaine lettuce or other leafy greens.
References
- "The Best Recipes in the World"; Mark Bittman; 2009
- "Nuts: More Than 75 Delicious & Healthy Recipes; Avner Laskin and Danya Weiner; 2008
- "Roy's Fish and Seafood: Recipes from the Pacific Rim"; Roy Yamaguchi, John Harrisson and John Demello; 2005
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