strange fish question

[tink401 110]

Ok this is a really strange question! I hate fish! ive always been repulsed by any kind of seafood at all! I had the sleeve almost 2 months ago and for some STRANGE reason my body wants fish!! So my questions are... Is this uncommon? not sure why i would even want to try something i dislike so much And does anyone have any suggestions on which fish i should try? probably the least fishy tasting. I dont even know how to cook fish so any recipe ideas would be great too! Thanks!!

[toasty 371]

Although I haven't noticed any change yet to my tastes, I have heard from a lot of people that their tastes in food radically change after WLS. Things they used to hate they really like, and things they used to like they can't stand.

For mild fish, try Tilapia, Red Snapper, or Yellowtail. Some people also like trout, but I don't like it myself. I happen to really like Mahi Mahi as well, you might want to try that too.

[sbg224 318]

Theres a fish that doesn't taste or smell like fish called orange roughy. It's a mild flaky white fish. You can just put it in a pan with some butter, not real butter, whatever it is they let you have or a little olive oil, some salt, pepper and lemon, lemon always helps with the fish taste, and cook maybe 6-7 minutes, and thats it. Moist and flaky. I love seafood, so I like shrimp, mussels, salmon my favorite, but for a none fish person, or flounder, is good too, but unfortunately out here in California we do not have flounder, don;t know why, but I am a NYC girl and flounder was great back east.

[VanessaVSGforme 276]

Hey! I am going through this same thing! Yesterday, while at costco, I came across the fish section and my mouth was watering for it. Me being me, I waited for people to come to the section and I flat out asked them, can you help me pick a non fishy fish?! They all said Cod. So I bought lemon and pepper seasoned Cod for 15.99 at costco. I'm going to try it later and see if I can ease this fish craving!!! ????

[VanessaVSGforme 276]

Although I haven't noticed any change yet to my tastes, I have heard from a lot of people that their tastes in food radically change after WLS. Things they used to hate they really like, and things they used to like they can't stand.

For mild fish, try Tilapia, Red Snapper, or Yellowtail. Some people also like trout, but I don't like it myself. I happen to really like Mahi Mahi as well, you might want to try that too.

Hey there Toasty! Hope all is going well for ya!! My mom actually says tilapia is good and doesn't taste so fishy. I'm going to try that one next. I wish they'd sample it at costco so we didn't have to buy the whole box and then not like it. :-(

[Bufflehead 6,358]

It does happen! I've always loved fish and that didn't change for me with surgery. But I used to truly despise eggs -- just being close enough to someone else eating scrambled eggs so that I could smell the eggs was enough to make me literally gag. But since surgery, I absolutely love them and eat at least one egg almost every day.

[muzical1 85]

Orange roughy, flounder and trout are good choices for a light fish. I agree, your tastes do change after WLS. I was a sweets eater. Now the thought of any dessert makes me gag. Not to mention my post surgery experiences have taught me my stomach can't handle it.

[_Kate_ 2,224]

Salmon is nice, with lemon.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

I've always liked fish but when I started eating cleaner I craved it more.

Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about whether or not a fish is more or less "fishy" tasting. As long as it is fresh it won't taste as "fishy" as you may think.

Cod and tilapia, while ok, really aren't my favorites because they are so mild.

I probably put fish in three categories:

tuna and salmon (in cans and pouches) are pretty much staples for me, especially tuna. I love tuna and can eat it plain or can dress it up for tuna salad, etc. I just got a tin of Spanish muscles so if anyone has a suggestion on how to use them I'm all ears. I have considered trying some of the more exotic preserved fishes but am not quite sure what to do with them.

Seafood. Like shrimp, scallops, crab, clams, etc. I love seafood grilled. Since I am no longer eating fried fish, I probably won't be eating any clams.

Fresh fish (frozen is ok). I love sole, trout, catfish, salmon, tuna, red snapper, etc. Even before I had weight loss surgery, if I went out to a fine dining restaurant, I usually got the fish. Tilapia and cod are ok. I do keep tilapia in the freezer because it is cheap and plentiful. I just make sure to use more herbs and spices.

Have fun. Once you find out how delicious it is, you can have fun trying different flavors.

[toasty 371]

BTW, until you are sure what you like, I would buy my fish at the meat counter at the grocery store. You can buy it in very small quantities (like one or two fillets of tilapia, 6oz of salmon, etc.). Once you find a few fish varieties you like, then you can buy them in quantity at places like costco or sams club.

[CanyonBaby 1,852]

If you've never liked fish, and are now craving it, I would suggest mild fish - without the oiliness of the heavier fish (salmon, trout) to start with. Fish that would work are tilapia, orange roughy, perch, cod, sunfish of any type, walleye, and bass. Catfish tend to be on the softer side, for texture (warm Water fish tend to be softer in texture).

Now, I have been at this fishing thing for decades, so my number one recommendation in cooking mild fish is to use olive oil mixed with a little butter (just enough to cover the bottom of the fry pan, season the fish with any kind of spices or salt and pepper you like, then dust lightly with flour. The seasoning against the fish BEFORE the flour allows for more flavor. Then, with the pan preheated to medium high, lay the fish in it, and watching carefully, occasional lift one side up to check for a golden brown appearance. Once it is nicely browned, use 2 flippers to flip it over and brown the other side. It should flake nicely when done, and this will only take a few minutes, as the fish isn't that large to begin with.

If you want fish candy, try this: use butter-flavored Crisco in the pan as your fat. Then season the fish as above, dust in flour, then dip in buttermilk, then dip in crushed saltine crackers. Handle gently, and add to the pan, again preheated over medium-high heat. Brown as directed above, then flip, browning the other side.

There isn't ANYONE I have made this for who doesn't LOVE it!!! It is higher in calories and fat, but once in a while it is a welcome treat!

One thing to do with all fish, is remove the lateral line (the line that follows the body, through the center of the fish - ON THE SIDE of the fish, to remove impurities. It tends to be black, and very thin. It is following horizontally across the fish on the outside part of the body, from gill to tail, and you only see it after it is skinned or scaled. It is where the impurities are deposited, and is easily removed. Just use a fillet knife to gently scrape it off.

Good luck to you and enjoy!!!

[liannatx 897]

Tilapia! I love this fish. Spray a skillet with a little Pam, or lightly coat with Olive Oil, sprinkle Tilapia filets with lemon pepper, and cook 3-4 minutes on each side. Super easy and super tasty. You can buy a large pack of individually wrapped frozen filets at Walmart or most any grocery store.

[SPettijo 40]

Orange Roughy

My grandparents refuse to eat fish, they hate it. When Grandma was trying to be healthier the only variety of fish they would eat was orange roughy. She used to lightly fry it with a Mrs Dash seasoning mix. I would suggest as a Baritric patient slicing a lemon and putting a couple pieces down in the middle of a piece of foil adding seasoning of you choosing (lookup suggestions on the Internet if you don't know what you think would taste good) Season both sides and place fish on lemon slices add additional lemon slices to the top and make foil packet bake in the oven. The lemon keeps the fish from sticking to the foil and add a nice flavor. If you don't like lemon, limes work well too but they're tart so some sweeter spice like nutmeg might help cut the sour. I haven't tested these suggestions. I prefer Pollock and Salmon which are more fishy than I would suggest you start with.

[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,444]

Tink, I get the impression from reading between the lines of your note that fish has not yet passed your lips. If this is correct, why not have a few fish meals at a restaurant before you run around buying and cooking?

Beyond that, I see others have made so many suggestions for dipping your toes in the Water, so to speak. It seems to me that you might make your first forays with the "meatier, more solid" (my quotation marks) types, e.g., fresh tuna, salmon, swordfish, halibut. Red snapper, too. The simpler the preparation, the better. Baked or broiled with some simple seasoning and wedges of fresh lemon to taste. In the end, though, you'll have to choose yourself. So many suggestions of so many dissimilar varieties will only make you dizzy.

There are countless recipes available online or in books and magazines. An old, excellent, basic book by a late, beloved, revered star/champ that will teach you much so that you'll be able to improvise your own recipes is "The New James Beard Book of Fish Cookery." That's not the exact title, but you'll find it by searching parts of it. It should be available at Amazon, Powells or any of the used-book sites, some of which specialize in cookbooks.

Here's a cool tip: The Canadian theory of fish cookery, which I learned of from Jimmy. It's the work of the Canadian dept. of fisheries or some such. Cooking time is essentially 10 minutes per inch of thickness, but read the book (or search online?). I'd spell it out more clearly for you, but all my cookbooks are packed away and out of reach.

Best wishes as you move ahead.

Laurie

Edited September 26, 2015 by WLSResources/ClothingExch

[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,444]

Oop, sorry. After posting what I'd written here, I noticed the button for editing. Did so above.

Edited September 26, 2015 by WLSResources/ClothingExch