Health Justice

Is this Fish Safe to Eat?

Is this fish safe to eat? Health Justice means that we object when we see food and agribusiness organizations actively putting their monetary interests over the safety and nutritional welfare of consumers.  One example of this is the discovery by a Bay Area physician in 2000 that eating fish was causing mercury poisoning in her patients.  She was persecuted for speaking out about this, and it took the American Medical Association three years to admit she was correct.  For a fascinating interview where she reveals her story and discusses the many ways that our culture seeks to block this kind of information, listen to this podcast from the Commonwealth Club of California.  And for a delicious and easy to make vegan version of tuna salad (that’s of course mercury free), use the recipe below.  Lastly, if you would like to check to see how much mercury risk exists for some fish you are considering eating, you can use a free fish mercury calculator.

podcast
PODCAST: Jane M. Hightower, M.D.
Author of Diagnosis Mercury: Money, Politics and Poison

Hightower will discuss the risk of consuming too much mercury when eating top predator ocean fish such as tuna, swordfish and sharks. She is a San Francisco doctor who discovered in 2000 that many of her patients had the classic symptoms of mercury poisoning, including nausea, trouble concentrating and tiredness, and she traced these symptoms to eating fish several times a week. Public health warnings are still inadequate, she says.

 

Better-Than-Tuna Salad (Wheat-free, soy-free)

This recipe has the flavor of tuna salad but leaves the cruelty, cholesterol, and mercury out.  Now there’s a comforting thought.better than tuna salad

  • 2 15-oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinses (or if you’ve cooked them yourself, use 3 cups)
  • ½ cup vegan mayonnaise (we like Veganaise brand)
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Put everything in a food processor and process until it achieves your desired consistency.  This is fantastic.  Makes 4-6 servings.

Per serving:  384 calories
6 g fat; 20 g protein, 65 g carbohydrate; 19 g dietary fiber, 0mg cholesterol, 76 mg sodium

Adapted from The Vegan Table, 200 Unforgettable Recipes for Entertaining Every Guest at Every Occasion, by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.