Shrimp Are a Healthy, Sustainable Seafood Choice
Prawns Offer a Low-Calorie, Low-Fat Protein That's Nutrient Dense
Sep 19, 2009
With so many people consuming shrimp for its health benefits and delicious flavor, catching and farming this small shellfish has come under scrutiny.
What Are Shrimp?
Known as the crustaceans that swim rather than crawl, shrimp can live in fresh or salt water. With more than 300 different species and thousands of varieties of shrimp harvested worldwide, shrimp are usually classified as warm-water or cold-water shrimp. According to the Food Lover’s Companion, as a general rule, the colder the water, the smaller and more succulent the shrimp.
Shrimp vary in color from light brown, pink and deep red to grayish-white, yellow and shades of green. Sizes of shrimp range from the small bay shrimp (1-1/4 to 2-1/2 inches) found off the coasts of California, the Mediterranean, the English Channel and North Sea to white, pink-grooved and brown shrimp (8 to 9 inches) of the Gulf of Mexico and the southeast Atlantic coast to warm-water prawns (up to 11 inches) found in the Indo-Pacific.
Are Shrimp Sustainable Seafood?
Wild shrimp and prawn fishing requires large nets or trawls and is done off coastlines of the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia, while commercial fish farming, or aquaculture, is practiced in salt and fresh water worldwide.
Shrimpers often have bycatch—including turtles and fish—filling their nets alongside the wild shrimp they harvest from the sea. Responsible shrimpers use exclusion devices that allow these turtles and large fish to escape their nets. Environmentally conscious shrimpers don’t fish in sounds or estuaries known as shrimp nursery grounds.
Farming shrimp can have significant environmental impacts, including the destruction of natural habitats, water pollution and heavy use of wild fish for shrimp feed, according to U.S. conservation organizations. Seafood Choices Alliance can help identify environmentally friendly producers of farmed shrimp.
Benefits of Eating Shrimp
Nutrient-dense shrimp are a good source of low-fat, low-calorie protein. They are high in selenium, vitamin D and vitamin B12. Cardio-protective omega-3 fatty acids—which have anti-inflammatory effects, prevent formation of blood clots and help decrease cognitive decline—are also found in shrimp.
Many of the nutrients provided by shrimp are also found in sardines.
How to Select and Store Shrimp
Shrimp are marketed according to size and number per pound. General size categories for shrimp include miniature (about 100 per pound), small (36-45), medium (31-35), large (21-30), extra-large (16-20), jumbo (11-15) and colossal (10 or less). Available year-round, shrimp are usually sold without heads and sometimes without legs. Raw, unshelled shrimp are called “green shrimp.” Shelled and unshelled shrimp, raw or cooked shrimp, and fresh and frozen shrimp are all available.
Raw shrimp should smell slightly of saltwater and not of ammonia. Look for fresh shrimp with bodies attached to their shells. Black spots on shells indicate that a shrimp’s flesh has begun to break down. Shells shouldn’t be yellow or gritty, as this may indicate chemicals used to bleach the shells. Cooked, shelled shrimp should look plump and succulent.
Fresh shrimp will only keep for up to two days under refrigeration. Place grocery-wrapped shrimp in a baking dish filled with ice in the coldest part of the refrigerator (usually the bottom). Frozen shrimp can be kept in the freezer for three months. Defrost shrimp by placing them in a bowl of cold water or in the refrigerator. Do not thaw shrimp at room temperature or in a microwave, as this can lead to moisture and nutrient loss.
Preparation and Cooking of Shrimp
Deveining shrimp isn’t necessary for small to medium shrimp, but is preferable for large shrimp and prawns. Remove the intestinal vein and grit from these shrimp by making a small incision along the shrimp’s back, pulling out the dark vein and rinsing the shrimp under cold water.
Shelling shrimp depends on their use in recipes. Frozen shrimp are easier to shell when they are slightly frozen.
Shrimp require only brief cooking or they will toughen. Most shrimp (especially those with shells left on) turn pink or orange when cooked. Shrimp can be boiled, fried and grilled. Cooked shrimp can be served cold with salsa or cocktail sauce as well as in salads. They also lend an interesting flavor to stir-fries or curries.
Shrimp are an eco-friendly shellfish when harvested and farmed in an environmentally friendly manner. The health benefits of shrimp include heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids as well as important vitamins and minerals.
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