Taste Test Tuesday: Bumble Bee Pink Salmon in a Pouch

Lightly Marinated with Lemon & Dill

Looking for a super convenient way to get your daily dose of fish omega-3s? Many health organizations recommend consuming two to three servings of fish a week, preferably from the higher fat fish (because this translates into a higher intake of fish omega-3s).

I have to really work on making this happen every week, and I actually like fish! And I know I'm not alone in this. I'm always on the lookout for quick fish options and the other day I tried a "pouch" of salmon with lemon dill flavoring.

The ingredients are pretty straightforward:

• Pink salmon
• Marinade (soybean oil, water, salt, sugar, lemon flavor, citric acid, sodium acid pyrophosphate)
  
• Dill

How did it taste?
The lemon and dill flavor was pleasant and although the texture was firm compared to freshly cooked salmon (similar to the difference between fresh tuna and canned tuna), it wasn't unappealing. I would buy this product again mainly due to the sheer convenience of having salmon on hand in the pantry.

Possible uses?
Here are three ways that you could use the firmer "pouched" salmon, in case you were wondering:

1. Add to your omelet or frittata to make a salmon avocado omelet or a salmon & chive frittata.


2. Use the salmon like you would canned tuna to make a salmon salad sandwich.


3. Add bite-size pieces or salmon to pasta dishes such as salmon fettuccine Alfredo (made with a light Alfredo sauce and whole wheat pasta).

4-ounce pouch:

150 calories
25 g protein
2 g carbohydrate
4.5 g fat
1 g saturated fat
45 mg cholesterol
600 mg sodium

Related Topics:

• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Taste Test Tuesday: Wendy's Premium Fish Fillet Sandwich

If you watch even a small amount of television you have probably seen commercials for the Wendy's new Premium Fish Fillet Sandwich. They tout this as a fish sandwich that's a cut above the rest - but is it?

First of all, I was very disappointed that this sandwich wasn't served on a whole grain bun. Doesn't that make total sense? You are serving fish, albeit breaded and fried...why wouldn't a healthful alternative to red meat be served with whole grain?

Okay, so I had to get past that and ordered the sandwich without tartar sauce, but added tomato and onion. This decreases the calories by 100 and the fat grams by 12 and increases the vitamin A and vitamin C content of the sandwich (6% Daily Value each).

Each sandwich ordered without tartar sauce and with tomato and onion contains:
370 calories, 12 grams fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat, 0 trans fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 780 mg sodium, 48 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, and 17 g protein.

How did it taste? I really like fish sandwiches and this one was one of the best-tasting fast food versions I've had. If you think you would like some sort of condiment, you could always opt for catsup. Ask for dill pickles on your sandwich if that's the flavor you are going for. And if you insist on doing the tarter sauce thing, you can always wipe most of it off and only keep a scant amount on the bun.

Related Topics:

• 21 Healthier Fast-Food Meals
• What to Know About Omega-3s and Fish
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox!