Battered and deep-fried, fish and chips isn't a nutritious meal. In addition to a large amount of fat, fish and chips can also be high in sodium. While the occasional salty meal isn't likely to harm your overall health, regularly eating too much sodium can lead to chronic medical problems. With a few preparation and ingredient changes, you can still enjoy fish and chips in a healthier, but just as tasty, way.
Sodium in Fish and Chips
The average order of fish and chips at a fast food restaurant contains 1,250 milligrams of sodium. That's for an order that includes one piece of deep-fried fish and a serving of chips, or fries. If you order more than one piece of fish, the sodium content goes up by almost 800 milligrams per piece. In other words, your entire meal could equal or exceed the 2,300 milligrams of sodium you should limit yourself to each day. It's even less healthy if you follow a low-sodium diet, which means your daily upper limit for sodium is 1,500 milligrams.
Sodium and Health
Fast food is a major source of sodium in the average diet. Restaurants add salt because it makes their food taste good, but all that sodium isn't good for your body. When you include too much sodium in your daily diet, you're at a greater risk for developing high blood pressure. If your blood pressure stays high for too long, it puts extra pressure on your arteries, which can lead to a heart attack or a stroke. You do need trace amounts of sodium as part of your healthy diet, but it's easy to go way overboard, especially when you eat a lot of fast food.
An order of fish and chips does have a bit of nutritional value, and the average restaurant order contains close to the 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12 you need each day. Vitamin B12 is necessary for brain function and it helps you make red blood cells. Fish and chips is a good source of niacin, as well. In fact, a 3.5-ounce serving of fried fish without the chips supplies about 2 milligrams. That's 14 percent of the 14 milligrams recommended as a daily allowance for women and 13 percent of the 16 milligrams men require. An order of fish and chips supplies small doses of vitamin C, vitamin A and potassium, as well.
If you're really craving an order of fish and chips, order the smallest size available. The average fast food fish and chips can contain up to 30 grams of fat, of which up to 7.5 are saturated. Even more dangerous, a whopping 8 grams can be trans fat. That's four times the 2 grams or less you should limit yourself to each day on a 2,000-calorie diet. Too much trans fat raises your cholesterol level, which puts you at risk for heart disease. Even better than a small fast food order is to make your own fish and chips. Coat fresh fish fillets with beaten egg and dip them in bread crumbs. Bake the fish until it flakes easily with a fork. Serve the fish with a healthier take on chips. Cut potatoes into strips, toss them with olive oil and roast them until they're soft.
- Long John Silvers: Nutrition Guide
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Entrees, Fish Fillet, Battered or Breaded, and Fried
- MayoClinic.com: Sodium: How to Tame Your Salt Habit Now
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin B12
- MedlinePlus: Niacin
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fats and Cholesterol: Out With the Bad, In With the Good
- fish fingers image by Savu Razvan from Fotolia.com