This fish, often shunned from the stalls, nevertheless holds the protein record.
Proteins are more than ever at the heart of our nutritional concerns. “A good protein intake is optimal for maintaining good health, especially if you are quite sporty” Daisy Bodin, dietitian-nutritionist, immediately confirms. Essential for muscle mass, satiety and daily energy, proteins must be provided in sufficient quantities “morning, noon and evening”. And if the first instinct is to turn to meat, fish nevertheless emerges as the best solution.
When it comes to nutrition, seafood is all one step ahead. “There is not much to reject from fish, which is a little different from meat” underlines the expert. “They have very little fat and therefore, obviously, have more protein than meat.” They are also less caloric. It remains to be seen which fish have the most protein. Daisy Bodin shares with us several good students like “the mullet, the eel and the haddock”. But the big winner is…
Cod. “It’s a fish that doesn’t make you dream a priori, and yet it’s the one with the most protein” explains the dietician-nutritionist. “Cod contains 32 grams of protein per 100 grams.” The comparison with meat is clear: “If you take a very lean steak, you will have between 22 and 25 grams of protein (per 100 grams), but generally, the steak you buy is 18 grams of protein.” Even the noble pieces are outdated: “The entrecôte has 24 grams of protein and the steak has 28 grams.”
A health downside all the same: “Cod is sold salted and the quantities of salt are enormous” recalls the expert. And even after desalination, “it keeps the equivalent of 8 sachets of salt per 100 grams”. An intake to monitor, particularly for people with hypertension or cardiovascular disorders. “You should not overdo it. Food is a question of balance”she recalls. The recommendations are two servings of fish per week, including one of fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, eel).
To cook cod, it’s not complicated. There are several options. Our expert recommends the famous accras, a gourmet recipe but to be lightened because they remain fatty. With an airfryer for example, “we can have cod accras a little more digestible”. For an even lighter version, make way for freshness: “You can also eat it in a salad.” Cod also lends itself very well to cooking in the oven or steaming, accompanied by seasonal vegetables, such as peas, itself rich in protein. Or in the form of brandade, provided you limit the addition of fat.
