Shrimp and Low Fat Diets

The healthy qualities of seafood are well known. Cod, Halibut, and Catfish are some of these. The most popular is shrimp. Because it is viewed as a high fat content seafood, many us will pick other seafood's instead of it. What the public doesn't know is that shrimp can be eaten while still maintaining low fat in our diets. Shrimp are low in saturated fat and total fat, meaning we can have our shrimp dinner.

Keep in mind the way the shrimp are cooked makes a significant difference in our health. Grilling, boiling, broiling, and baking are recommended but deep-frying with batter or pan-frying in not. Adding butter or heavy sauces will also make our dishes high in fat.

Shrimp salads are a great way to get our needed nutrients in one meal. This Shrimp and Mango Salad recipe is that "something different" you may have been looking for this summer. Thai, Caribbean, Tandoori, and Margarita are all versions of this succulent salad, ranging from exceptionally spicy to tastefully sweet. Some recipes call for cucumbers, avocados, and green peppers. Others add tomatoes, coconut, or may use Thousand Island dressing. One thing is absolute about this salad; it's only limited by your imagination! Here are two simple, yet delightful versions, which will delight your taste buds and have your guests asking for more.

Ingredients:

1 iceberg lettuce chopped

½ cup of sweet corn

1 ripe mango, peeled and cubed

10 shrimps unpeeled.

1 Orange, peeled and pulled apart

low fat blue cheese dressing

Take the shrimps, wash them, put them into a pot of water and boil them for about 7 minutes. They are done when they turn a vibrant pink or orange color. Take shrimps out of water and allow them to cool. Once cooled, remove shell from each shrimp. Rinse shrimps again to ensure all remnants of shells are gone.

Another option is to grill your shrimps. Get grill ready with appropriate amounts of charcoal and charcoal lighter fluid. Let charcoal burn for about 5 minutes, until it's good and hot. Put 5 shelled (and rinsed) shrimps lengthwise on metal skewers. Metal skewers can easily burn you! Make sure to use potholders when turning skewers, and when you take off grill. Spray shrimps with a non-stick cooking oil and place on grill. Turn shrimps once or twice while cooking. It will take about 5-6 minutes for them to cook thoroughly. Take skewers off grill (with potholders), and squeeze a quarter portion of lime over each shrimp skewer. Place on top of your salad.

Ever wonder why the salad you make in your own kitchen seems to not add up to that fabulous salad at your favorite restaurant's? The secret is in the lettuce. Restaurants soak lettuce for a minimum of 30 minutes in ice water. Try this suggestion and you will notice an extreme difference in the quality of your homemade salads.

Put all your vegetables into a big salad bowl. If you can, use a glass salad bowl to emphasize the colors of your salad. Toss your salad well and put shrimps on top. Serve low fat salad dressing on the side.

Both of these variations will serve 2 people for a main course meal. Enjoy.

We can eat shrimp and keep our low fat diets in check. Just remember that moderation is the key in most diets.

Sources

http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/faqs/f/shrimp.htm