The fish I grew up eating was what our family caught  from fresh water lakes in the midwest and the occasional taste of shrimp cocktail my dad would prepare for my mom. We had pan-fried bass, bluegill and catfish.  My brother Steve makes the most amazing light beer batter fried fish I have ever tasted.  I have used this photo in my blog before, but it deserves another look!

On average, Blue Zone residents ate about 2 ounces or less about five times per month of free-roaming pork, chicken, or lamb without hormones or antibiotics. Adventists eat a plant-based diet and research on their group indicates those who lived the longest were vegans or pesco-vegetarians (a plant-based diet with a small amount of fish). Consume  meat no more than twice weekly and eat up to three ounces of fish daily.

Retreat from meat

How?

• Avoid eating beef, hot dogs, luncheon meats, or sausages.
• If you must, eat meat, do so on special occasions.
• Choose restaurants that have tasty plant-based options.

Fish is fine

How?

• Learn what 3 ounces looks like.
• Avoid predator fish like swordfish, shark, and tuna. Avoid overfished species such as Chilean sea bass.
• Steer clear of farmed fish since they often are in overcrowded pens that require pesticides, antibiotics, and coloring.

Taken from National Geographic’s  “The Blue Zones-The Science of Living Longer”

It has been easy for me to “retreat from meat” because I am not a big meat-eater.  We did have meat at meals in my youth, however the portion size was quite small. I recently made a special comfort food meal for my son and his finance to enjoy. I used lean ground bison and grass-fed beef for the meatloaf and mixed in sautéed shallots and shredded carrots.  We also had some Yukon Gold mashed potatoes.  This is not the kind of meal I would serve on a regular basis.