LivingINBL October 2016 | Page 28

One in six eating more fish

A survey for sustainable seafood ecolabel , the Marine Stewardship Council ( MSC ) has found that one in six people ( 17 %) in the UK are eating more fish and seafood than they were a year ago , with most of them ( 65 %) saying they have increased their fish intake because they are trying to eat more healthily . Fish and seafood are low in fat and high in protein , and have long been hailed for a host of health benefits . The NHS recommends that a healthy diet should include at least two portions of fish a week , including one portion of oily fish , which contains high levels of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and is thought to help prevent heart disease . Two thirds of people ( 65 %) who reported eating more fish these days , said the change in their diet had been motivated by trying to eat more healthily , while other reasons included an effort to cook or eat a wider variety of dishes ( 42 %). One third of people who were eating more fish ( 33 %) said it was because they had reduced the amount of meat they eat , though just 2 % said they had cut meat out of their diet altogether . As demand for seafood increases , so does the need to protect our oceans from over fishing . That means it ’ s increasingly important to ensure that the fish we eat is caught sustainably , so that future seafood supplies and the marine environment are safeguarded . Consumers can play their part by choosing seafood with the blue MSC eco-label . When shoppers choose products with the MSC eco-label , they reward the fisheries that are committed to sustainable sourcing , and incentivises others to improve their practices , helping to ensure that life in our oceans is safeguarded for the future . Almost one in four full-time students ( 24 %) and more than one in five Londoners ( 22 %) polled by YouGov on behalf of the MSC said they were eating more fish these days . People living in households without children were also more likely to have stepped-up their fish consumption ( 20 %).
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