BEST CHOICE: Mollusks are the most nutrient-dense of all seafood's. Oysters, clams, mussels, scallops, octopus, and squid are the most commonly available mollusks in your grocery store. And these days, many of these foods are farmed using such sustainable practices that the farmed versions are actually better for you and the environment than their wild-caught counterparts thanks to the pollution and over-fishing of the wild. Depending on where you live, you can find these fresh, frozen or canned.

SECOND: Other shellfish such as lobster, crayfish, shrimp, and crabs are also significantly more nutrient-dense than fish, though less so than mollusks. As with mollusks, many of the farmed versions of these sea foods are now so sustainably farmed that they exceed their wild counterparts in sustainability & healthfulness. Also included in this second list are fish roe (eggs), available fresh or canned. They're an essential part of most native fertility diets - and for good reason!

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THIRD: Fish - any fish. Oily fish are among the most nutrient-dense and contain the most health benefits. Farm raised fish while providing most or all of the nutritional benefits also contain less or no contaminants such as mercury or pcb's. This is due to water filtration and careful monitoring. If the fish are herbivorous (like tilapia), it's also easy to feed them their natural diet. Plus, with sustainable management practices, the farming of the fish can be much better for the environment than capturing the fish in the wild. But, as always, the choice between wild and farmed fish needs to be made on an individual case by case basis.

© 2011 by Kristen Michaelis. Food Renegade