Bream is a well-known and frequently consumed river fish. It is a commercial species and is bred in farm ponds, serves as a subject of fishing in ponds, and the hostesses are happy to cook it. The article will tell about the nutritional and energy value of this fish, its beneficial properties and contraindications, as well as methods of cooking with health benefits.

Composition and nutritional value of bream

The bream belongs to the freshwater fish of the Karpov family, found almost throughout Europe, in Western Asia and in Siberia. Adults can weigh about 6 kg and have a length of about 80 cm, the body is covered with large, but easily removable scales.

Bream is a low-fat fish rich in protein, and 100 g of meat contains about 100 kcal, including about 17 g of protein and 4 g of fat. The exact energy and nutritional value depends on its type, gender, age, habitat, catch time, living conditions and food availability. So, bream caught during or immediately after spawning has the least amount of calories.

Fish provides the body with proteins, which in composition correspond to those contained in meat, but are easier and faster to digest. Fat consists of omega-3, omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids and is the most healthy animal product. A low-calorie serving of bream is an alternative for people who do not like oily sea fish.

Did you know? In Poland, bream has its official holiday. Every year in July in New Varpno a traditional festival takes place, where residents have fun, take part in fishing competitions and try cooked dishes.

The bream also supplies the body with phosphorus, selenium, potassium, chlorine, calcium, magnesium, iron and sodium. Freshwater fish is a treasury of water-soluble vitamins of groups B, A and PP, contains a small amount of vitamins C, E and D.

Useful properties for the body

The use of freshwater fish to enhance health and replenish the body with useful components was already known to our ancestors, so the product was regularly eaten in order to improve well-being and strengthen immunity.

General benefit

• Fish must be included in the human diet for a number of important reasons:
• The product is easily digested, has a delicate taste.
• The presence of omega-3 fatty acids protects the cardiovascular system.
• Calcium and phosphorus are necessary for the development and health of bones and teeth, providing mineralization of bone tissue.
• The iron present is a component in the production of hemoglobin.
• Regular use promotes the production of certain hormones and connective tissue.
• The high content of vitamin E (31%) and phosphorus (27.5%) determines the safe course of all physiological processes, regulates the water-salt balance.

The product is an excellent antioxidant and antiseptic, has anti-inflammatory properties, which is important for people suffering from arthritis, gout, reduces the amount of cholesterol in the blood and improves the condition of the skin. Regular consumption of bream allows you to adjust the level of glucose in the blood and inhibits the development of hormonal dysfunctions.

Important! In order for the nutrients to bring maximum benefits and the least damage to health, the fish eaten should be fresh, not frozen.

Fish is recommended to be used in the diet of each person, in particular in the diet of people at risk of cardiovascular disease, the elderly, as well as pregnant women. Bream is used in medicine for the manufacture of medicines containing, for example, pancreatin or insulin, and its caviar is used in cosmetics in face masks.

For women and men

For women, the benefits of eating fish, in addition to general recovery, are also associated with improved appearance. So, the presence of vitamin E in the composition of the fish product improves the condition of the epidermis, hair and nails, delays the aging process of the skin.

Low-calorie meat with easily digestible protein allows you to maintain a stable weight and not gain extra pounds, which is important when preparing a diet, and unsaturated fatty acids allow you to break down fats in the blood and normalize metabolic processes.

For athletes and men who suffer great physical exertion, a high content of light protein is useful for strengthening the body and recovering from vigorous activity, exercises, and injuries. Food is easily absorbed and digested, and the body directs all its strength to regeneration.

With breastfeeding and pregnancy

During pregnancy, lactation and breastfeeding, a woman must include in her diet a portion of fish at least twice a week (up to 340 g in total). Useful fish oils are found in milk and ensure the healthy and mental development of the baby. Nature protects the baby by replenishing milk with useful substances from the mother's body.

Omega-3 fatty acids are an exception. If a nursing mother does not eat foods rich in these fats, then in milk they are not enough for the successful development of the baby. That is why a nursing mother needs to eat fish without fail. If this is not possible, for example, due to an allergy, it is worth giving the child a finished omega-3 drug or in the form of additives.

Never eat raw fish during pregnancy. Products must be pre-cooked - stewed, steamed or baked in the oven, they will retain all the beneficial properties. Avoid deep-fried bream during this period.

For children

Children who had a diet with a higher content of omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids in infancy later demonstrate good mental performance during school. These acids are important for the development of the brain structure of the child, children are less likely to suffer from allergies, immunity increases, vision improves, and visual processes develop faster, there are less problems with concentration.

Omega-3 fatty acids are also very important in adolescence, as they protect against obesity, diabetes, heart disease, atherosclerosis, oncology - common diseases of civilization.

When losing weight

Knowing the calorie content of the product and the quantitative composition of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, it is possible to evaluate how bream should be used in preparing a diet that meets the requirements of a healthy diet or the necessary diet for weight loss.

Bream as a representative of fish and seafood is an excellent source of lean protein - a very important element of the diet for weight loss and physically active people. In addition, this product has relatively few calories and, unlike red meat, contains a predominant amount of beneficial unsaturated fatty acids compared to unhealthy saturated fats, making it a good ingredient in a diet for weight loss.

For comparison, by caloric content 100 g of bream meat corresponds to the energy value of 200 g of strawberries or two tomatoes.

Is bream caviar useful

First of all, you need to get rid of the idea that only sturgeon and salmon caviar can be tasty and valuable. Bream caviar is a source of unique beneficial properties due to the large number and composition of macronutrients and essential fatty acids. It is well absorbed by the human body and contains a significant amount of protein and fat, vitamin E is responsible for good condition and improving vitality.

Did you know? In Turkey, red caviar, known in the market as tarama, is obtained from the eggs of a ray-finched dace (Leuciscus leuciscus) and partially bream (Abramis brama).

• Its beneficial effect when consumed extends to many body systems:
• circulatory - in addition to the manifestation and exacerbation of atherosclerosis;
• nervous - reduces the likelihood of breakdowns and stress;
• digestive - normalizes metabolism.

Having a balanced chemical and amino acid composition, a significant content of healthy proteins (24.7 g), caviar is able to reduce excess weight, despite the high calorie content (142 kcal). And due to the relatively high fat content (4.8 g), it is a good source of energy and useful for all age groups, including children and adults.

Important! Excessive consumption of the product or in case of hypersensitivity can cause harm. Children under 3 years old are not recommended to include bream caviar in the menu.

The benefits of smoked and cured bream

The fish is very nutritious and nutritious due to the high content of easily digestible protein and a small amount of fat.

But the calorie content of bream per 100 g of edible product may vary depending on the method of preparation:

Smoked fish is fatter and its meat is more difficult to digest than other types of heat treatment (boiled, stewed, baked). In addition, it contains a lot of sodium, which should be avoided by hypertensive patients, people with peptic ulcer and kidney disease.

Smoke components are also present here, which in large quantities can be harmful, therefore a product that is smoked in the traditional way in home smokehouses using only natural ingredients and good wood (alder, hazel) is more useful. Such a bream has a completely different taste (it is compared with the taste of smoked chicken) than a product from industrial smokehouses, where the fish is treated with a chemical solution that gives it a smoked taste and a characteristic color.

Such fish can be recommended for use from time to time to those who have no contraindications for smoked products, and they should only make a tasty and small addition to the diet.

Sun-dried bream is more beneficial for health, as it is processed only with salt and dried naturally. Small specimens and scavengers are suitable for drying. Before eating, it is advisable to soak the fish to remove excess salt and make the meat more soft. Drying food is the oldest way of conservation, and the shelf life of such fish is several years. The method is cheap and effective in suitable conditions.

Taste and application in cooking

The bream meat not only has nutritional value, but also a delicate taste. It can be cooked, fried, stewed, baked in foil, dried and marinated. The dishes have a wonderful taste with the addition of garlic, sage, parsley, rosemary, lemon juice or bay leaf and go well with potatoes, a salad of fresh vegetables or sauerkraut. Steam dishes, grilled or baked in the oven, are easily digestible and less calorie.You can bake whole fish or fillets with fresh herbs to add extra flavor and aroma.

All kinds of freshwater fish can be fried. Unfortunately, fried fish, especially in breading, is more high-calorie, difficult to digest and does not have a beneficial effect on the heart, unlike boiled and baked. For cooking, it is better to use olive oil, canola or refined sunflower oil, preheated.

Important! A bream is a bony fish, therefore larger specimens are suitable for frying, from which the bones are easier to remove. Small fish is best cooked in a marinade.

Before frying, the skin should be incised so that the fish pieces do not deform under the influence of high temperature (the skin contracts more strongly than meat). Fried bream can only be eaten from time to time. People with gastrointestinal ailments and following a low-calorie diet should avoid this cooking method.

Another advantage is the low price. Those involved in fishing can enjoy the taste of river bream almost for free. For those who are not fishers, it’s easier to buy bream, which is almost always on sale in the fishing season.

Harm and contraindications

Bream as a food product has no contraindications that can harm the human body. An exception may be individual intolerance, which is extremely rare. The harm is caused by the use of low-quality fish or caught from a contaminated reservoir.

Important! If there is any doubt as to whether the product is fresh, you can conduct a test - when immersed in water, the newly caught fish sinks, and stale - floats.

Recently caught bream has a fresh aroma, smooth, shiny scales, tight to the skin, elastic and dense meat, wet tail and fins, shiny eyes, pink or red gills.

Dangers can be parasites, which are easy to identify when cutting bream, and in this case, refuse to use. During cooking, it is necessary to ensure that the meat is cooked and does not remain raw. Meat that has undergone complete heat treatment or has been frozen at -20 ° C for at least 96 hours is considered safe. When eating bream, care must be taken not to choke on small bones.

Today there is no shortage of fish for sale. On the shelves it is at any time of the year, but sometimes the quality and prices do not provide opportunities for widespread use. Real fish consumption in Russia is about 15 kg per person, which is lower than the norms recommended by the Ministry of Health for a healthy diet. Try to expand your diet and eat fish dishes as often as possible.