Although used mainly in sushi restaurants for its roe, capelin is a nutritious addition to your diet, notes cookbook author Joan Over. Capelin is a small cold-water fish native to the northwestern Atlantic between Iceland and Canada. Similar in taste and texture to herring, capelin can be grilled or roasted. You should aim to eat seafood at least twice a week, advises the American Heart Association.
Rich in Heart-Healthy Fats
Each 100-gram serving of capelin contains 2.4 grams of fat and 0.45 grams of saturated fat. Compare this to a typical 3-ounce serving of porterhouse steak, which has 9.5 grams of fat and 3.3 grams of saturated fat. Capelin has 0.6 grams of monounsaturated fat and 0.9 grams of polyunsaturated fat, and it's a source of omega-3 fatty acids. A diet rich in these types of fat may decrease your risk of stroke and heart disease.
Moderate Levels of Cholesterol
The average adult should restrict daily consumption of cholesterol to 300 milligrams or less. Capelin supplies 70 milligrams of cholesterol in every 100 grams, or 23 percent of an adult's daily limit. Despite its cholesterol content, eating capelin as part of an overall low-fat, low-cholesterol diet does not increase your LDL, or "bad," cholesterol. By contrast, a study published in "Plos One" in 2014 reported that eating three to four servings of fish weekly increases the size and amount of your HDL, or "good," cholesterol.
High in Lean Protein
Each 100 grams of capelin contains 17.6 grams of protein, which supplies 31 percent of a man's recommended daily intake of protein and 38 percent of what a woman needs daily. According to the results of two studies reported in the "Archives of Internal Medicine" in 2012, if you increase your consumption of protein from foods such as fish, poultry, low- or nonfat dairy and plant sources, and you decrease your consumption of processed and red meat, you will significantly lower your risk of dying from chronic conditions such as cancer and heart disease.
Low in Sodium
You should aim to consume 2,300 milligrams or less of sodium each day. The elderly, African Americans and people with diabetes, kidney disease or high blood pressure should have no more than 1,500 milligrams daily. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average American typically consumes around 3,300 milligrams of sodium per day. Eating fewer processed foods and more fresh products, such as capelin, can help keep your sodium consumption under control. A 100-gram serving of capelin contains 60 milligrams of sodium, which is only 2.6 percent of the limit for the average adult.
