Farm raised fish vs wild
 

I suggested to my friend that we should go to Sam St. John's Seafood Restaurant again, like we did last December. Later, I realized I never did find out if the flounder was farm raised or wild. I don't want farm raised anymore; my friend doesn't care as long as the food tastes good.

So I called the Restaurant and the woman who answered the phone said she didn't know. I asked her if I would be able to find out and she said I could ask the server when I come in. That's nice! We pick out a restaurant and may have to get up and walk out if the flounder is farm raised. Or, maybe not if my friend is eager for the flounder. In that case, I have to try to find something that is wild. And I have a feeling that anything wild is going to be a lot more expensive. The baked flounder, all you can eat, with a couple of side dishes, is $10.00. Very reasonable. Therefore, I suppose I shouldn't even have to ask if it's farm raised.

I then called Red Lobster to see if their fish is wild. A man answered and, without hesitation, said most of their fish is farm raised. Haddock was the one exception at $17.99. That's what I suspected; anything wild is going to be much more expensive, and I'm a thrifty ol' geezer who doesn't want to spend that much. I'm not even sure if I would like Haddock anyway.

This leads me to believe that there's no such thing as a healthy (wild) fish dinner that's going to be under about $18. If it's over $12, I would rather buy it in the supermarket and cook it at home.

Now I either have to talk her out of going there or else I would have to find something on the menu other than fish. :22yikes: What can I order in a seafood place other than fish? I don't suppose they have any vegan meals, do they? (I'm not interested in a high sodium vegan burger.)

I think I would rather go to Subway.

You might enjoy the haddock.....it's generally a sweet, tender, white fleshed fish. It is a bit pricey, but it is a special time of the year and maybe you could make an exception...:)

Something you might want to consider is buying some fresh fish from the vendor in Brownwood. He brings fresh caught Florida fish from their store in Lake Mary.
The fish is fresh, delicious and bakes quickly. You could prepare some of your vegan dishes to accompny the fish.

Did you check with Bonefish??? curious what their answer would be. I agree, I want nothing to do with farm raised fish. Sam's carries frozen Mahi and Salmon that is wild caught. They use to have wonderful tuna steaks as well, but haven't seen them lately.
If you are going out for seafood and want wild caught then you have to be prepared to pay the price or cook it at home yourself.

wild caught fish at market
 

Thought I would mention the flash frozen right on the boat fish that is sold at Brownwood Market on Saturdays. I bought a piece of haddock that was nearly a pound in weight for $6.75. I have also bought cod there. They flash freeze the fish right on the boat as soon as it is caught. I figure I can't get it much fresher than that! JMHO

LW888

Here is the link to their menu.
They do serve chicken, steak and salads.
Sam's St.johns Seafood menu - Summerfield, FL 34491 - (352) 307-7387

That is a good price. Haddock is the same family as cod and pollock. In UK haddock is probably the most preferred sea food and a mainstay in fish and chip shops.

We like both cod and haddock. Strangely, smaller sized pike can taste like cod depending on how it is prepared.

Some species of fish are almost entirely farm raised e.g. Atlantic Salmon.

I find that farmed Atlantic Salmon taste pretty much as good as the wild salmon used to. But, some farmed trout are have soft consistency in their flesh and don't compare to wild trout.

As far as I know haddock are not farmed, but cod are.

I'm sure you realize that wild caught fish that come from the oceans are subject to having mercury contamination.

And of course you will not eat lobster, oysters, crabs, clams, snails, shrimps, eels, and catfish because they are scavengers.


Of course, the chicken and beef products are permitted to have additives and beef often has been fed hormones. The salad ingredients probably were treated with pesticides.

There is also the issue of how clean the kitchen is at the restaurant and whether or not any of the food handlers have any illnesses.

If you overthink the whole issue you might never eat out again.

Carl, Carl, Carl!

Honestly, I don't think there is a big difference between farm raised and wild raised anything. I don't think organic veggies are much if any different either.

In our current over populated world, there has to be big farm raised animals, fish, and vegetables or there would be a lot more starving people in the world with giant depletions of "wild" stock that would radically alter the environment.

I agree.

My issue with farm raised is not the difference in taste, but how they are raised. Would rather risk a little mercury than the poop they swim around in. Maybe we can start a fish poop thread!

I get your point Carl, but I too would rather deal with mercury detoz than with the antibiotic and growth hormone issues of farmed fish. Incidentally, cilantro is a great chelator for mercury detoxing, so you could add it in the meal with fish as a precaution.

LW888

I myself, find a difference in farm raised and fresh caught (wild). I think farm raised is much more blah (bland) then fresh fish. Especially, when it comes to salmon!!!! I always look for sockeye salmon from west coast when having salmon. West coast salmon is so much tastier, and less oily. I always used to say (jokingly) that salmon only know how to turn right when coming back to spawn or lay eggs. So on the east coast, they turn right, and get lost at sea, (trying to find there way back) while on west coast, they turn right, and come right in without getting lost, using less energy (leaving more meat on fish). Of course, no proof to that!!!! I stay away from farm raised shrimp also. Like shrimp caught here in Florida. What's nice, we here in the USA have choices. By the way, Lopez Legacy, has fresh fish shipped to them.

You simply can't supply the worlds demand with only "fresh" catches. It's impossible. Just look at the number of people eating shrimp on 'all you can eat shrimp night' in the ONE Red Lobster you are sitting in than multiply that by just the number of Red Lobster restaurants around just the USA and than multiply that by all the people eating shrimp in other restaurants and meals on that day in the WORLD. It is staggering. That's just ONE day.

I am willing to bet a lot of the so called "fresh" catch is right out of the the "fresh" farm tank. It has to be.

I'm also willing to bet, if you prepared a "fresh" caught piece of salmon and a "farm" raised piece of salmon side by side in the same pan with the same ingredients and didn't know which was which, you would have a hard time telling the difference.

I don't believe anyone is suggesting they stop farm raising fish, but some of us prefer the naturally caught product. Also the bags of frozen clearly state if they are fresh caught or frozen; however, there are no guarantees anymore.

There is definitely is a difference with farm raised Atlantic salmon and wild Alaskan salmon in coloration and taste.

Thanks for the menu. Under the heading, Fishermans Catch, it says, "Catch of the day". That section sounds like it would be wild caught fish. And they have Flounder Fillet for $11.99. And Flounder is a cold water fish, just what I need to supply the healthy omega 3 fatty acids. Yahoo!

I just hope I'm right about it being wild. If not, I can always get the grilled chicken salad. The only problem with salads is trying to pick out a healthy dressing.....there's probably no such thing as a healthy restaurant dressing.

There is so much misinformation going around about food and health, safety and nutritional issues. Perhaps someone needs to perfect food pills so we can eliminate all the concerns . We are becoming a country of alarmist, reactionaries anxiety prone fearful distrustful and unable to make our own decisions and choices. Geeezzzz

I thought the chart on the attached page would be helpful in determination of Omega 3 for anyone interested. The flounder is pretty far down on the list but both farm raised and wild salmon is at the top.

Seafood Health Facts: Making Smart Choices

And what exactly do you think fish in the wild eat?

And now we hear that washing hands with anti-bacterial soap may be a negative, not a positive. It's probably best to rely on our own common sense, not what we read. It seems we've turned into a society of anxiety-prone reactionaries (nice choice of words Rubicon).

No one has mentioned antibiotics:
 

Farmed fish are crammed in together with lots of poop, as was mentioned. Therefore, in order to keep the fish from spreading diseases, they put antibiotics in the feed. Then when people eat the fish they get those antibiotics in their system. That's not good because we can develop a resistance. If we get a bacterial infection later in life, as often happens, the antibiotics might not work.

This doesn't happen from one fish meal. It's a cumulative effect that comes from eating various kinds of animal protein that has been treated with antibiotics.

The other issue is: Omega 3 fatty acids vs Omega 6 fatty acids. Wild cold-water fish, is usually rich in omega-3. And that is healthy. Farm raised grain-fed fish, will likely be high in omega 6, just like grain fed beef.

Most people will think, "hey, lets be healthy and have fish tonight." Sorry, if it's farm raised and grain fed (or even if it's not grain fed) it won't be much healthier than eating grain fed beef, assuming the fat content is about the same.

As far as mercury contamination in wild fish: You can choose small fish rather than large. Small fish like wild Flounder is safe to eat. Ditto for sardines etc..

It's the food industry that is creating the concerns, anxiety, fear and distrust. We have less and less natural whole foods anymore. To not be concerned we would either have to be ignorant of the facts or else in denial.

It only becomes common sense after people read about it. :-)

Search:
 

Search the following: "Seven reasons to avoid farmed raised salmon".

CFrance, I'm not quite sure what to make of your response to my post. Perhaps you would explain.

Maybe I was too subtle. To make it plain, I could live on seafood. I eat everything I listed except snails and eels. When given a choice I usually eat fried (yes, fried!) corn-fed farm-raised catfish, with hushpuppies and cole slaw. I've been known to have an appetizer of gator tail as well.

I also eat out frequently and often have beef or chicken. About the only thing I won't eat is liver.

I also love salads and use a variety of dressings; my favorite is oil and vinegar. I don't obsess about pesticides or insist on "organic" foods.

I believe I eat such a wide variety of foods that there is no one food that is so contaminated that it is going to harm me when eaten in reasonable quantities.

Yep, I eat fruit, vegetables, dairy and God's Gift to mankind, chocolate.

It's all good................................

That may be true, I never really thought about it before. Here's something I just learned: Farm raised salmon are fed pellets of chicken feces.

You can find that by searching: "Seven reasons to avoid farm raised salmon."

Most fish itself is mislabeled. You're not buying the species of fish you think you're buying. I'd imagine as far as farm vs wild, the answer will be...whatever they think you want to hear.

Other fish? But they live in whatever washes into the sea.

Supposedly kills all but resistant bacteria. Same thing happens in hospitals.

The "food industry", the name says it all...food for profit. Manufactured food. It's addicting (designed that way) and horrible for you. But they pay taxes and politicians...so, it's here to stay. I fall victim to it, I never buy fresh fruits or vegetables. Do onions count? I do buy them... I eat meat and dairy mostly.

I do stay away (for the most part) from packaged snacks.

And.....some species of fish are never farmed raised. I saw in Publix today swordfish that they said was wild caught. That's one fish that would never be farmed raised. These fish are very deep water, always on the move fish.

I thought your post was serious on one level and hysterical on another. Appreciated it.

Swordfish are reportedly very high in mercury contamination,

Also:

So many people worry so much about what they eat they can't enjoy anything they eat anymore. What a shame.

I think when you think about adding minor amounts of the newest fruit or vegetable or protein that is supposed to extend your life or make you healthier you are just kidding yourself. How old do you want to be anyway? I see a whole bunch of old people in nursing homes that would be better off dead.

I wouldn't say I "worry" about what I eat, but I do stay informed and am careful about what I eat. I can assure you I ENJOY every bite!! Not a shame, at all. Don't feel sorry for those of us who try to eat what we consider to be healthy. I can only speak for myself, but I LOVE the way I eat and enjoy the physical benefits and well as the mental high that comes from doing something good for myself. What could be more fulfilling than doing what you feel is the best you can do for your body?

I don't understand what "adding minor amounts of the newest fruit or vegetable or protein" means....?? I don't follow fad diets, and I don't need to lose weight. I eat what my research tells me is good for me. I also don't mind doing the research. I have a genuine interest and I like most things generally considered the healthiest foods.

My hope is not necessarily just to live longer, but to live better. I want to be as active and healthy as long as I can instead of being "sick" in my final years. I don't want to be on a bunch of medications either. The typical diet will definitely increase the chances of developing any number of ailments....Food as Medicine!! If eating an apple now instead of a piece of cake (usually:icon_wink:) means I will have more years of actually being able to feed myself, I'm all in!!!

I wanted to respond because so often people seem to misunderstand what motivates me (and others) to eat the way I do and seem to think I am somehow deprived. On the contrary, I feel very fortunate, particularly since a reasonable amount of red wine is considered healthy...:)

I am confused. Wouldn't farm raised fish be better than fish caught in the wild? And it would certainly prevent over-fishing and depleting the oceans. Farm raised would have a regulated diet, raised in conditions where disease and such would be eliminated. Isn't it the same as harvesting blueberries from bushes growing wild on the side of the road or ones raised on blueberry farms? What about wild turkeys shot by hunters Vs turkey raised on farms?

travelguy....Maybe you missed this post. That's the problem most people, who prefer wild, have with farm raised.

...and if isn't true, it cannot be on the internet. "Bon jour" :1rotfl:

Probably posted by someone that live catches salmon

As a kid I would bust open thermometers and play with mercury in my hand.

Ahhh... That explains it.