By: Kris Sollid, RD   Date: 3/5/10

Note: As part of National Nutrition Month, we'll be highlighting tips from our Registered Dietitians around the theme of "Nutrition from the Ground Up." For more info see our kickoff post or visit ADA's National Nutrition Month page.

More than most, I am a creature of habit.  And I am definitely not a morning person.  There’s just something about rising and shining that screams for simplification.  Every morning my alarm goes off at the same time, I drive the same route to the metro station, park my car in the same spot, get on the same metro car (hopefully there’s a seat!), and when I get to work, I drink the same Starbucks coffee and choose the same spot in the fridge to put my lunch.  Any of this sound familiar?  I suppose we’re all creatures of habit to some degree.

Although my idiosyncrasies may sound monotonous, oddly enough, when it comes to food, variety is definitely the spice of my life.  But this wasn’t always the case.  It has taken some time, and I’ve experienced more than a few “failed” experiments, but what is life without failure?  Think the Wright brothers got it right their first time?  Hardly.  How would we ever have discovered our favorite foods without flying…I mean, trying them first? 

Take tuna for example.  As a child, I was all about my cold cuts; you couldn’t pay me to eat, much less smell that slimy stuff.  As a young adult, my protein preferences were grounded mostly in meat, but evolved to include occasional sushi (just rolls though, nothing raw until after my college years).  Now as a thirty-something, seafood is a staple in my diet.  In fact, sesame seared ahi tuna topped with fresh avocado slices drizzled with wasabi and soy sauce easily wins the gold medal for my favorite dish, and just so happens to be on my menu tonight.  How did this happen you ask?  Just how did I come to love tuna after loathing it for so long?  In recipe terms: one part courage, one part health conscious, and two parts open mind.

Varying Your Intake to Maximize the Benefits

However, seafood shouldn’t be all tuna all the time.  While fish and shellfish are excellent sources of protein and essential fatty acids, varying your intake exposes you to the wide array of vitamins and minerals that seafood has to offer; vitamins D and B12, Calcium, Iron, Iodine, Magnesium, and Selenium to name a few.  To maximize the benefits of these key nutrients, the American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of three-and-a-half ounce portions of cooked fish per week.  Depending on your stage of life (i.e. during pregnancy), the list of fish to fry (although baked, broiled, or grilled is more heart conscious) is endless.  But, if its heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) you’re hooked on, try selections like salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, or lake trout.  Regardless of omega-3 content, the seafood counter at your local market always presents a brave new world of opportunity to test the waters and try something new.

You never know, your bravery may be rewarded with a new favorite food and leave you wondering how you ever got along without it.  Or better yet, you may find that you’re more than just a creature of habit, but rather a creature of healthy habits.

Do you have a tale of how you’ve tested your taste buds over the years? Let’s hear it…