little feet, big sky

Our local farmers’ market, the Hollywood Farmers’ Market, has oysters. *drool* They started selling there while I was pregnant and I would walk by and sigh a little. (I happily ate sushi while I was pregnant, but got sick once from raw oysters, so I thought it best to wait.) Last Sunday, I bought a dozen Luna for $10 and sampled one right at the stall – delish!

I had picked up some from Whole Foods the week before, but the farmers’ market ones were so much better. I was practically purring with each one. :-) I know they’re an acquired taste for most, but I love, love, love oysters. I either eat them unadulterated or with a little concoction of rice vinegar and finely minced shallots. The spouse made me a martini and I was just in heaven! I have decided that Sundays evenings shall be now known as Martini & Oyster night!

As if nutrition during pregnancy isn’t confusing enough, there’s more than plenty misleading advice on eating fish while pregnant. Some say eat more fish, as it’s a great source of lean protein and high in valuable omega-3 essential fatty acids, important for brain development and more. Others say to avoid it for possible mercury contamination, possibly linked to autism and other developmental disorders, or for environmental concerns with overfishing, etc.

So when standing in front of the seafood section at the grocery store, or when eating out, how do you know what to choose?

I’ve come to rely on the Green Guide’s Smart Shopper Fish Picks, from National Geographic. It’s a handy list of seafood choices ordered into three categories: YES fish, NO fish and SOMETIMES fish. YES fish are selections that are either low in mercury (L) or not overfished or farmed destructively. SOMETIMES fish are either moderate in mercury (M) or recovering stocks, and NO fish are either farmed destructively, overfished and/or high in mercury (MM). The list makes distinctions between species from different locations (ie., Atlantic vs. Pacific cod) which helps to make local choices, as well as other important facts like farmed, trap-caught, wild-caught, etc. For example, while Atlantic mackerel is low in mercury and listed as a YES fish, the note that it’s “purse seine-caught” reminds me that this method of fishing often captures other than the intended catch, such as dolphins or turtles, and also can lead to catching more than can be transported or processed, leading to waste and overfishing. I don’t think it’s a fair tradeoff for my child to be mercury-free and healthy, if there’s not much of a world left for him or her to enjoy!

On a side note, I would suggest pregnant women stay away from farmed fish. While it may seem like the healthier or more ecologically-friendly option, farmed fish often are limited in room, which makes them more susceptible to disease, which in turn leads to the use of antibiotics. Not only does that imply our consumption of said antibiotics, but run-off from fish farms contaminates fish and sea life in the wild.

If you have a mobile web phone or PDA, add a bookmark to the mobile version of the Fish Picks guide: m.thegreenguide.com/fish.mhtml.

Personally, I’ve been disinterested in most fish while pregnant, though I’m still happy to eat shellfish and such. Has anyone had any interesting stories with eating seafood while pregnant?