When it comes to buying groceries, is the source of the food important to you? Aka, do you try to buy local or organic? Do you look for sustainable products? I’ll be the first to admit, it hasn’t been a huge priority for me over the years but lately I care more and more about what is going into my body. Especially because when I put effort into hydrating and eating clean I notice a difference in my skin, energy and bloating (or lack thereof). The more I do it the more I realize, what you put in your body REALLY makes a difference in how you feel. I’ve heard and read about this, but I think until you actually do it for yourself you don’t understand the benefits.

That being said, I find I don’t have a lot of time to research food sources that are better choices for me, so I genuinely appreciate when brands provide education on it.

I recently attended a lovely dinner hosted by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to learn all about their sustainable seafood products. I was so excited the join the feast because seafood is one of my (and my SO’s) favorite things to eat. Plus, knowing where your food is coming from is a good place to start when it comes to caring about what goes into your body.

The ever so talented Chef Charlotte Langley prepared an epic three course meal that featured three types of seafood; shrimp, lobster and cod. She is a huge champion of food sustainability, and her passion for this topic was evident in her educational, yet entertaining way of presenting each dish to us.

Overall, it was a really positive, eye opening experience to learn about the importance of making sustainable seafood choices and how easy MSC makes it to do so. Today I am going to share some of those reasons with you.

3 Reasons to Buy Sustainable Seafood

1. Help preserve the future of seafood

MSC works with with fisheries to make sure our oceans are fished sustainably so that we, as consumers, can enjoy seafood, knowing that there will be plenty more in the future. Not to mention, supporting sustainable fisheries also contributes towards securing the livelihoods of fishing communities around the world.

As a seafood lover, this is definitely motivation for me to be more conscious about the source of seafood I am purchasing in store or at restaurants. When you buy seafood products that are sustainably sourced, you are directly supporting fisheries that take care of our oceans. Your purchase also sends a signal to other fisheries letting them know that there is demand for sustainable seafood and that they should get certified as well. So how do you know what is sustainable and what is not? See reason #2.

2. Identifying sustainable seafood products is easy

During the dinner, I learned that MSC certified products can be identified with their blue fish label. If you see seafood products with this label, it means they have been caught by a responsible fishery in a sustainable way. I love that it takes the guess work out of the equation – see the MSC blue fish label and just like that, you know you are eating sustainable and traceable seafood. Simple.

3. Switch up your protein

While seafood is one of my favorite things to order at a restaurant, it can be intimidating to cook at home. BUT it doesn’t have to be. You know me, I am all about approachable recipes so if you want to try incorporating seafood into your meals, below are some easy ideas to get started. Plus you can feel good knowing that you are adding a sustainable protein to your meals.

• Sesame crusted salmon
• Shrimp avocado salad
• Pineapple stuffed with cauliflower rice & shrimp
• Shrimp & veggies sheet pan dinner
• White wine mussels 

I also love making white fish (cod, halibut, red snapper). You can’t go wrong with a little olive oil, garlic, lemon + salt and pepper. Wrap it up in foil and bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes.

SO the next time you are looking for sustainable options, eager to switch up your weeknight protein or craving a tasty seafood dinner, look for the MSC blue fish label.

Huge thanks to the Marine Stewardship Council for being such great hosts and serving a deliciously, educational feast!