When we’re talking about crustacean seafood dishes, the first ones to come to mind are crab and lobsters. Another delicious shellfish is the crawfish. You can call them the smaller versions of lobsters. These scrumptious sea creatures are smaller than lobsters, growing to around three to four inches. So don’t mix them up! The crawfish have many different names such as the crawdads, crayfish, and freshwater lobsters. You can cook them in different forms. Prepare a grill, boil, or simply make a stew. The crawfish makes for the best seafood boil Greensboro dishes.
Now you know that they’re delicious. But are these sea creatures healthy? The crawfish pack a lot of nutrients along with the flavors. Yet, people avoid them due to misconceptions that we’ll be clearing today. One of such rumors that stands out is that boiled crawfish are not healthy. You don’t need to worry! Crawfish are healthy for you regardless of the cooking method. There are a few things that you need to know about these low-calorie crustaceans:
Health Benefits of Crawfish
With the crawfish season just around the corner, people have a thing in mind. Whether they can have the best seafood boil Greensboro crawfish dish without worrying about their health or not. The good news is that crawfish pack a lot of nutrients. Such as proteins, vitamins, minerals, and not a lot of calories either. It might surprise you but one serving of crawfish contains only 70 calories!
Not only this, but these yummy shellfish contain only 1g of unsaturated and no saturated fats. Although when it comes to proteins, the crawfish pack 14g of protein per serving. All this along with high levels of vitamin B, and omega-3 fatty acids. They also contain minerals like iron, zinc, phosphorus, niacin, and magnesium.
Crawfish – A Great Source of Lean Protein
You don’t really need to worry about the healthiness of the crawfish. An average 3-ounce serving of peeled crawfish tails is very low in calories. Not only this but they are an excellent low-fat protein source. There are many health benefits of the crawfish boil. Making it not only a healthy but also a tasty dish. The health benefits include being only a 70-calorie, low-fat dish, that is dense with around 14g of protein per serving.
Along with all the protein, they also have high amounts of iron, vitamin B, and selenium. Making it an all-rounded dish and one of the best seafood boil Greensboro. The only thing that people might criticize is the presence of a little dietary cholesterol in crawfish. But that shouldn’t be concerning as crawfish is one of the best sources of protein.
Is it Alright to Boil Crawfish?
You should keep in mind that the way you cook the crawfish will always affect its nutrients. If you opt for deep frying it or preparing it with a lot of sauces, it will increase the number of calories and fat. Hence, canceling out the health benefits. Although when boiling it, on average a person eats six to eight ounces of crawfish. Making it around 232mg of cholesterol. This is just under the 300mg recommendation by the American Heart Association.
To add on, on a platter of crawfish boil it’s difficult to keep a tab on the amount of crawfish you eat. You must be mindful that you eat a healthy amount of these and not overeat. The main thing to look out for in this dish is sodium. People suffering from high blood pressure or cardiovascular diseases should only take about 1500 to 2000mg of sodium per day. This amount can easily be crossed if the seasoning is not kept in check. Thus, make sure to limit the sodium amount by using appropriate seasonings.
Tips for Staying Healthy and Enjoying a Crawfish Boil
You don’t need to worry about the health risks that you might think come from eating a lot of crawfish. After all, we’re here to keep your health in check. You need to pay close attention to the size of the servings you eat and make sure to use low-sodium servings. Another alternative to this is using salt-free spices. This helps you reduce sodium amounts without compromising on the taste. Pairing the crawfish with veggies such as mushrooms, artichokes, green beans, garlic, and carrots balances the meal.
Another tip to remember is to make sure that you drink plenty of water when you eat a crawfish boil. Water flushes out extra sodium from your body and maintains your health. Thus, it’s a good way to eat your favorite crawfish boil minus the guilt and worry.
You should also limit your alcohol intake to one to two drinks at max. this makes sure that your health is not compromised.
How to Incorporate Crawfish to Your Diet?
Incorporating seafood into your diet is a known healthy practice. And now you know the nutritional benefits of crawfish. It’s time to add them to your daily diets.
You can purchase crawfish when it is in season and then freeze it for later use. Plus, you can easily substitute shrimp with crawfish. Just remember that the tails are mostly pre-cooked so you might want to add them towards the end. You can even add these yummy crawfish in any salad, soup, or pasta instead of the usual chicken. Not only this, but they taste great in dips, omelets, stir-fries, quesadillas, and quiches. You just need to be creative!
Conclusion
Crawfish is one of the healthiest crustacean options and has many ways to cook it. Although, the most health benefits come with the crawfish boil served with low-sodium seasonings. Making it the best seafood boil Greensboro crawfish dish.
