Are anchovies or anchovies healthier?

If we think about the good weather, among the images that appear in our heads are those of having a good aperitif outdoors. And within this appetizer, some anchovies or anchovies, tasty and with a cool drink will delight anyone.

The best thing about this appetizer is that, in general, we are faced with a very healthy option for a snack or a meal. Nutritionist Adriana Oroz Lacunza (@adristylelife), explains, to begin with, the most important thing: that anchovy and anchovy belong to the same species of fish either the Engraulis encrasicolus, “also known as ‘bocarte’ on the Cantabrian coast.” But, he warns, within that ‘bocarte’ they talk about two different things: “The term anchovy refers to its preparation in salt and anchovy when it is made with vinegar.” Yolanda Masa, nutritionist at BluaU de Sanitas, specifies this differentiation. He says that this fish is usually called anchovy not only when it is prepared in vinegar, but also if it is fresh, battered or fried. “On the contrary, when this fish has been processed by salting and olive oil, it is called anchovy, giving rise to a processed product of fresh fish,” he explains.

Masa comments that the nutritional properties of both preparations are identical, since both are the same type of small blue fish, which offers a contribution of protein of high biological value and good quality fats in addition to fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin D and minerals such as potassium and phosphorus. Among the benefits of this fish, the nutritionist explains that it has a cardioprotective action, due to its omega 3 content, “very important in the treatment and prevention of diseases as common as hypercholesterolemia or hypertriglyceridemia.”

In addition, the professional continues to explain, the protein content of anchovies and anchovies is high and they have group B vitamins (B2, B3, B6 and B12) and, due to their fat content, they also fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D and E . As for minerals, they are rich in phosphorus, magnesium and iron.

What can we eat anchovies and anchovies with?

“We must take advantage of when they are in season to incorporate them more often into the weekly menu,” says Oroz Lacunza, who remembers that we must consume three or four servings of fish a week, in addition to the fact that we are faced with “an interesting option to give variety to the dishes. In order to take advantage of its benefits, it is important to choose a cooking technique as healthy as possible . Yolanda Masa recommends opting for simple techniques, such as grilled, baked, steamed, or en papillote. “We must remember that we are already starting from a fatty fish, so it is better to avoid culinary techniques such as frying or battering, which provide extra fats of lower quality,” he says.

If the way we like this fish the most is fried, but we don’t want to leave healthy things aside, Adriana Oroz Lacunza recommends preparing them in the oven, grilled or grilled “on baking paper using less oil and seasoned with garlic.” and parsley. «A small amount of our liquid gold, the extra virgin olive oil “, would be enough to prepare these fish,” adds Masa.

“There are also other options such as consuming it raw, for ceviche or sushi preparations, in vinegar and with raw oil, as is the case with anchovies, or salted like anchovies,” recalls the BluaU nutritionist. For his part, Oroz Lacunza ends the recommendations by proposing include anchovies or anchovies in some omelette on escalibada or avocado toast, in a salad or as a snack with olives if you buy them canned.