Not a Fish Tale: Save Big on Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon

April 3rd, 2008

Nutritionists recommend 2 to 3 servings of eco-safe fish per week. Figuring out which fish is safe to eat used to be a major challenge. Thanks to guides such as this one from the Environmental Defense Fund, that’s no longer an issue. And “organic” fish? Don’t bother.

But with prices through the roof, finding affordable fish is an issue. I nearly fainted when I saw previously frozen wild king salmon for $21.99 per pound at Whole Foods.

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There’s a well-kept secret at Whole Foods that can save you a lot of money. Skip the fresh fish counter, and check out the section where pre-packaged frozen fish is kept. There you’ll find Whole Foods’ house brand, Whole Catch. Instead of paying $16.49 for 12 ounces of previously frozen wild sockeye salmon, you can purchase Whole Catch frozen wild Alaskan sockeye salmon for $7.99, a savings of $8.50! That’s not pocket change, particularly if you’re trying to incorporate fish into your diet on a regular basis.

True, it does take some pre-planning to defrost the fish overnight. But that’s a trade-off worth $8.50 per meal. And if you’re in a hurry, you can always defrost it in the microwave.

Another tip? If you live in an area where fish prices are sky high, consider bringing a cooler and stocking up on fish when you’re at the beach this spring and summer. Prices generally are lower there, and sometimes you can even find good deals on great fish at the supermarket. But remember to check with the local fisheries council if you’re going out-of-town and are unfamiliar with the local fish. Sadly, there are more contamination warnings out than ever before due to environmental irresponsibility, so you need to be careful, particularly if you are feeding children or pregnant women.

Looking for more savings before hitting the grocery stores this weekend? Check out Money Saving Mom and The Bargain Shopper Lady.

— Lynn

Copyright 2008 OrganicMania


7 Responses to “Not a Fish Tale: Save Big on Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon”

  1. The Bargain Shopper Lady on April 3, 2008 8:24 pm

    My husband loves to go fishing so he catches our fish.
    He usually brings home a cooler which we freeze and we eat for a few months. My favorite part is sharing the catch with our neighbors!

    Wow, lucky neighbors! :) You sound like you have a DH (Darling Husband)!

    Just be careful what you’re ingesting. I was in tears when I got off the phone with a State Department of Fisheries scientist. He had been writing the same report for twenty years, and this year the environmental toxins were horrific. He’s convinced there will be no more fish in the oceans to eat by the time his children grow up. — Lynn

  2. MamaBird/SurelyYouNest on April 4, 2008 12:04 pm

    Yikes to the Fisheries’ guy’s report for the year. You can also get frozen wild salmon at Trader Joe’s….

    I know….

    True re TJs, but not all their fish is labeled with country of origin (I like to buy US or Canadian fish), and I don’t *think* TJs sells fish that is Certified Sustainable. If they do, I haven’t seen it in my local TJs. — Lynn

  3. Annie on April 7, 2008 2:54 am

    Thanks for the tip… sadly I live in Australia where all the “fresh” salmon is farmed in Tasmania, with some pretty nasty practices, such as giving them lots of antibiotics, and injecting dyes to make them look “pinker”. I end up using lots of canned salmon, mostly from Canada and Alaska, which, while it isn’t as nice as fresh, or even frozen salmon, it does have the plus of having bones in it, which are a great source of calcium, especially for people on a non-dairy diet. I’ve recently posted a story on my blog about ways to get fussy toddlers to eat more fish…

    check it out at: http://www.anniesorganicbaby.blogspot.com

    By fish, do you mean “ocean nibbles for mermaids?” :) Folks, Annie has a wonderful blog…check it out! — Lynn

  4. sher on April 7, 2008 8:38 am

    great tip!!!

  5. Kira on April 8, 2008 9:34 am

    Thanks so much for helping to get the word out about safer fish choices!!

    In addition to our online seafood selector (http://edf.org/seafood), I wanted to make sure you know we’ve just released a mobile version, so you can look up more than 200 fish when you’re out and about. Point your mobile browser to m.edf.org/seafood.

    Again, thanks, and please keep letting people know how to choose good fish.

  6. B on April 8, 2008 4:53 pm

    thanks for the great tip about whole foods! i also found at costco yesterday frozen wild salmon – 3 lbs. for around $22 or $23.

  7. Sue on April 14, 2008 6:58 am

    Thanks for your fishy-tip.

    If you have time, would you further investigate the impact of purchasing salmon from Alaska. Awhile back, Nov. 2006, wild salmon from Alaska was though to be the cleanest and most environmental friendly (reference VitalChoie, issue 109, vol 3). I haven’t followed up on this since the collapse of the California Salmon industry and now I wonder what’s going on with purchasing salmon.

    PS. RE Trader Joes, we had a conversation with their corporate customer service rep who told us that they label where all their food is from. I am not 100% sure that this is true, but that was their line.

    Yes, salmon from Alaska is still the way to go. Another good option is to look for certification from the Sustainable Fisheries program. — Lynn

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