Including more seafood in your diet is good for your health. The 2010 dietary guidelines suggest you aim for 8 oz. of seafood a week. The orange roughy is a deep-sea fish that grows very slowly and has a long lifespan, living as long as 149 years. You can find orange roughy fresh or frozen, and prepare it baked, steamed, fried or microwaved. Comparing the nutritional value of the orange roughy with other fish can help you determine whether it fits into your meal plan.
Calories
Compared with some varieties of fish, the orange roughy is low in calories. A 3-oz. portion of dry cooked orange roughy contains 89 calories while a 3-oz. portion of dry cooked wild Atlantic salmon contains 155 calories and yellowfin tuna has 110 calories. Orange roughy is, however, slightly higher in calories than a 3-oz. portion of dry cooked haddock, which has 76 calories.
Fat
In addition to being low in calories, the orange roughy is also very low in fat, similar to haddock. A 3-oz. portion of dry cooked orange roughy contains 0.7 g of total fat, 0.03 g of saturated fat, 0.4 g of monounsaturated fat and 0.02 g of polyunsaturated fat, and the same portion of cooked haddock contains 0.5 g of total fat, 0.1 g of saturated fat, 0.1 g of monounsaturated fat and 0.1 g of polyunsaturated fat. By comparison, a 3-oz. portion of dry cooked wild Atlantic salmon contains 7 g of total fat, 1.1 g of saturated fat, 2.3 g of monounsaturated fat and 2.8 g of polyunsaturated fat. As a low-fat fish, the orange roughy is not a good source of the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Protein
The orange roughy is also a good source of high-quality protein, comparable to most other fishes. A 3-oz. portion of orange roughy contains 19 g of protein, while a 3-oz. portion of cooked haddock contains 17 g of protein. The yellowfin tuna is a slightly better source of protein, with 25 g in a 3-oz. portion.
Vitamin E
Orange roughy is higher in vitamin E than other types of fish. A 3-oz. portion contains 1.59 mg of vitamin E, meeting 11 percent of your daily vitamin E needs. As an antioxidant, vitamin E protects your cells from free radical damage. Vitamin E is also necessary for immune health and may help decrease blood clotting. Adult men and women need 15 mg of vitamin E a day.
Mercury
Orange roughy is high in mercury, and the Environmental Defense Fund recommends that you limit your intake to one to two servings a month depending on your age and sex. Mercury is a poisonous metal that is most harmful to fetuses and children, causing damage to the nervous system. It can also cause numbness, tingling, fatigue and blurred vision in adults. Atlantic salmon, bluefin tuna and haddock all contain less mercury.
References
- Environmental Defense Fund: Orange Roughy
- USDA: Nutrient Database
- Office of Dietary Supplements; Vitamin E; December 2009
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010: Foods and Nutrients to Increase
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010: Appendices
- Environmental Defense Fund; Mercury in Fish and Shellfish; January 1998
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