Foods, their selection and preparation

Fish is a valuable protein food. It has approximately the same percentage of pro¬ tein as lean meat, and the protein is of good quality. (See Table XLV.) The fat con¬ tent is low. All the shellfish and many fish with bones contain less than 2 per cent fat. Among these are cod, haddock, smelts, bass, perch, and flounder. Among the fat fish, those containing more than 5 per cent fat, are salmon, shad, herring, mackerel, butterfish, and catfish. As a group, "fish as caught” are not good sources of energy, but since fat is [247] » Table XLVII • Forms of Fish in Three Principal Markets 1 Species Weight (Pounds) Principal Form in Which Received Season When Available Boston Cod . l£-25 Dressed, heads off, fillets, fresh and frozen All year Haddock . Dressed, heads on, fillets, fresh and frozen All year Hake . l\-6 Dressed, heads off, fillets, fresh and frozen All year Halibut . 7-125 Dressed, heads off, and steaks • Fresh: available March to Decem¬ ber Frozen: during December to March Mackerel . 1-3 Round, fillets, fresh and frozen Fresh: available June to November Frozen: during November to June Pollock . lf-4+ Dressed, heads off, fillets, fresh and frozen All vear J Rosefish . Chicago2 3 4 Fillets, fresh and frozen All year Bullheads . 1 3 3 4 Skinned, headless, and dressed All year Carp . 2-8 Round, fillets All year Lake herring .... Heads on, dressed, fillets Practically all year, although heavi¬ est catch is in spring and fall Yellow perch .... 1 _ 3. 4 4 Round, fillets April to December Pike . *-6 Round, dressed, heads on, and fillets Fresh during spring and fall. Win¬ ter-caught is frozen Suckers . 1-6 Heads on, dressed, and fillets All year Lake trout . 2-8+ Heads on, dressed All year, although mostly frozen stock is sold during winter months Whitefish . l£-4+ Heads on, dressed All year, although mostly frozen stock is sold during winter months Seattle Flounders . $-2 Heads on, fresh All year Halibut 5-80 Dressed, heads off F'resh: available March to Decem¬ ber. Frozen: all year Ling cod . 3 Dressed, heads off, and filleted March to December Sable or black cod Salmon . Chinook or king Chum or keta . . Pink . Silver . 5 5-30 5-10 3-5 5-12 Dressed, heads off Dressed, heads off May to December Fresh: available May to December Frozen: all year Smelts . M Round, fresh All year Soles . 2~3 Heads on, fresh All year added in preparation, "fish as served” com¬ pare favorably with meat dishes in energy 1Fish and Fishery Products. War Department Technical Bulletin, Quartermaster’s Corps, Decem¬ ber 31, 1944. 2Only fresh-water varieties are listed. Chicago markets also handle fish from Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts. content. They are good sources of the min¬ erals calcium, phosphorus, and iron. The sea varieties are among the best food sources of iodine. All contain trace minerals. Any fish canned with bone is a rich source of cal¬ cium. A small dried fish, charalis, much used by low-income families in Mexico, is a rich source of this important mineral. [248]