Whether you’re a fan of kippers or not, you may wonder if they’re actually healthy for you to eat.
Some of your concerns may stem from the rise in mercury in fish.
You may also have concerns about the rising amount of plastic found in the stomachs of fish.
Here’s everything you need to know about whether grilled kippers are good for you or not.
Are Grilled Kippers Good For You? (Everything To Know)
Yes, grilled kippers are great for your health.
They contain several different nutrients and minerals that can support your health.
Overall, grilled kippers contain 245 kcal of energy, 17.6 grams of fat, and 21.7 grams of protein.
They make a delicious side to your meal or as a snack if you’re looking to reinforce your workout.
5 reasons why they are good for you include the nutrients that you can find in grilled kippers such as:
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- Niacin
- Riboflavin
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin B12
Besides being healthy for you, grilling kippers—as opposed to baking or frying them—can increase the flavor and aroma of kippers.
What Are Kippers?
If you’ve never had kippers before, then you may wonder where they come from.
After all, kippers aren’t technically a species of fish on their own.
They’re actually part of the herring family of fish.
Some of the most popular kippers come from Atlantic Herring.
To make a kipper out of a herring, the chef places the fish on a slab.
Then cut the fish in half from tail to head.
Each half of the fish goes through a gutting and skinning process.
You’re left with two slices of fresh fish.
Then each side goes through a smoker.
That gives kippers its famous smoky flavor.
It also helps the kipper last longer.
However, you can’t eat the kipper as soon as it comes out of the smoker.
It still needs cooking.
Smoking is only used to preserve the fish and give it a smoky flavor.
There are several different ways to cook kippers.
You can bake, fry, and even boil them.
The most popular way to cook and serve kippers is to grill them.
The kipper cooks with a little bit of butter in the mix.
It’s also served with butter on the side.
For every herring, there are two kippers.
This helps make buying kippers more affordable since manufacturers can get more fish out of a single specimen.
Is Eating Grilled Kippers Sustainable?
You may worry about the environment.
Overfishing is a concern that many coastal communities have.
The fishing community, as a whole, has concerns about their impact on the marine environment.
Luckily, fishing for herring is sustainable.
That’s because herring is resilient.
The Marine Conservation Society permits the fishing and consumption of herring, and thus kippers.
They’re resilient because they can swim in vast shoals with no bycatch.
Herring is also found in several different waters.
The risk of overfishing them is minimal.
They’re also great at breeding and surviving through to maturity.
They’re not prone to disease.
All these factors make herring a sustainable source of food.
Since kippers come from herring, grilled kippers are also sustainable.
Why Are Grilled Kippers Good For You?
Thanks to its nutrients, there are several reasons grilled kippers are good for you.
Here are some of those 5 reasons.
1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Doctors always encourage their patients to consume more omega-3 fatty acids.
The problem is that they’re hard to find in some diets.
Grilled kippers contain omega-3 fatty acids.
One of the benefits of omega-3 fatty acid is that it improves your cardiovascular health.
It does so in a few different ways.
One of the ways is that it smooths your arteries.
Within your arteries is a lining that runs along the inner surface.
Over time, the lining can start to become rough.
Plaque can also build up in the artery and make it difficult for blood to pass through it.
Omega-3 fatty acids help keep the lining smooth which makes it more difficult for plaque to build up in your veins.
As a result, blood can flow easily through the vein and reach your heart.
It also regulates your heart rhythm.
When you have an abnormal heart rhythm, your chances of suffering cardiac arrest increase.
That’s because the heart can regulate itself.
Blood has a harder time pumping through your body and returning to your heart.
You may experience cardiac arrest.
Omega-3 fatty acids keep your heart rhythm the same.
It makes blood regulation efficient and keeps your heart healthy.
Finally, it helps prevent inflammation in your body.
Inflammation can be a problem with your cardiovascular health.
When your body suffers from inflammation, then it becomes harder for your body to run regularly.
Blood may be unable to return to your heart which forces you into cardiac arrest.
Increasing the amount of omega-3 fatty acids that you consume through grilled kippers can improve your cardiovascular health.
2. Vitamin D
Most people know that when you spend time outside in the sun, you’re receiving a good amount of vitamin D.
The problem is that not everyone can receive regular amounts of sun exposure.
When winter comes for certain regions, the amount of sun they receive is substantially limited.
Luckily, you can get your vitamin D through grilled kippers.
Vitamin D is important because it helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in your body.
It not only keeps your bones healthy, but it also keeps your teeth and muscles healthy.
Those who do not receive enough vitamin D in their diets can face problems in life.
Children without vitamin D can develop rickets.
Older adults can develop osteoarthritis because of a lack of vitamin D.
Their bones become brittle.
Taking in normal amounts of vitamin D can reinforce your bones and keep you healthy in every stage of your life.
Vitamin D also impacts your immune system and brain health.
It can even affect your moods.
Vitamin D can also regulate your insulin levels.
That’s vital for those who are suffering from diabetes or those who are at risk for it.
Vitamin D can help improve lung function and cardiovascular health.
Finally, it helps regulate genes that are responsible for stopping the spread of cancer.
It’s easy to forego vitamin D since it’s not commonly known how important it is to the human body.
Eating grilled kippers can give you a good dose of vitamin D and keep your body healthy.
3. Vitamin B12
One of the most important vitamins for your body is B12.
It does everything from regulating your energy levels to helping your body create genes to run your body.
Without B12, your body would be in trouble.
Besides helping the body create genes, it also keeps your blood cells and nerve cells healthy.
It’s involved with your body’s messaging system.
If your body needs more energy or a certain process in an area, then B12 helps send that message to your brain.
The brain then responds.
When you have a low amount of B12, then your brain becomes sluggish.
It’s not as fast or efficient in responding to your body’s needs.
This can create a chain of events that keeps your body from receiving the energy and resources that it needs to function.
Another important role that it plays is in the prevention of anemia.
By keeping your blood cells healthy, it helps them move through your body’s arteries.
Without B12, your blood cells weaken and become anemic.
You’ll feel sluggish and tired.
Even performing basic tasks can be difficult for you.
Finally, B12 can help improve your memory.
Since it helps regulate your brain’s health, it also keeps it sharp.
If you want to make sure that your body is getting enough B12, then you need to add grilled kippers to your diet.
Grilled kippers have plenty of B12 that can keep your body feeling great with plenty of energy.
4. Niacin
Niacin is another type of B vitamin.
It also plays an important role in your metabolism.
It helps convert the food that you eat into energy.
Without niacin, your body is less efficient at breaking down food.
That means more food goes to waste or becomes fat instead of breaking down into an energy source.
When you feel tired and without energy, then it can impact the rest of your life.
Niacin is also responsible for helping your nervous system.
It keeps it healthy and functional.
Your digestive system also relies on niacin.
This B vitamin helps break down food making it easier for your body to digest.
Without niacin, it takes longer for your body to process food.
That means you’re using up more energy than you’re creating.
You’ll feel tired, especially after consuming food.
Finally, niacin helps protect your skin.
Whether you want to keep your skin safe from the sun’s harsh rays or ensure it stays as youthful as possible, then eating enough niacin is important.
It can help reduce wrinkling and other signs of aging.
Grilled kippers contain niacin.
Eating them can make your skin look great and help your body convert food into energy.
You may find that you have a burst of energy after eating grilled kippers.
5. Riboflavin
Riboflavin is another B vitamin that plays an important role in losing weight.
Not only does it help convert food into energy, but it also metabolizes fats.
If you’re eating something very fatty or you have a lot of fat on your body, then eating foods with riboflavin can help your body break those fats down into energy.
As a result, you can slowly start to lose weight.
It doesn’t only metabolize fats either.
Riboflavin can also metabolize proteins and carbs.
By breaking these down, your body has plenty of access to energy that can keep you motivated and active in life.
Without riboflavin, you may feel lethargic.
It will also be more difficult to lose weight.
Grilled kippers have riboflavin in them.
Even though kippers are fatty, the riboflavin in them can help break it down to give you a burst of energy.
Is It Safe To Eat Grilled Kippers Every Day?
You can eat grilled kippers every day.
The Japanese and British make grilled kippers a part of their daily diet.
They often enjoy eating grilled kippers as part of their breakfast.
Some will even eat them as a snack throughout the day.
They pair well with morning tea.
Eating grilled kippers in the morning can give you a solid amount of energy to burn through for the rest of the day.
Since they’re healthy, kippers won’t harm you if you eat them every day, unlike other processed food.
Are Kippers Processed?
Commercial kippers undergo processing.
Grilled kippers that you find in the store come from large fishing operations.
They’re prepared and cooked in a factory.
Then they are shipped to local grocery stores.
The smoking part of the process can help reduce some of the processing of the kippers, but they are still considered processed.
If you buy or order grilled kippers from a local fisherman or restaurant, then they’re not processed.
The closer that you are to the source of the kippers, the less processed it’s going to be.
Many restaurants pay local fishermen to catch herring for them.
They’ll then cut and cook the herring into kippers to serve.
Some fishermen will also sell herring directly to customers.
They know that some customers prefer to prepare and cook the kippers themselves.
While most store-bought grilled kippers are processed, you can find fresh grilled kippers at restaurants and from fishermen.
Are Grilled Kippers High In Mercury?
One concern that many seafood enthusiasts have is whether their fish has mercury or not.
Grilled kippers do not have a large amount of mercury in them.
Consuming mercury is a real concern.
If you consume too much mercury, then you may experience symptoms like fatigue, hallucinations, and headaches.
Even more serious symptoms include behavior changes, tremors, and death.
Pregnant women are often advised to avoid eating seafood because of its mercury content.
The problem with that is they’re unable to take in the benefits that fish provide.
Whether you’re pregnant or not, you don’t have to worry about eating grilled kippers.
They come from herring which is a species of fish that ranks among the lowest for mercury in their bodies.
One problem you may find with kippers is that they have a sodium count.
If you need to watch your cholesterol, then you may want to avoid eating several kippers in a single day.
How To Grill Kippers
Follow these steps to grill kippers in traditional British fashion.
1. Preheat The Grill
Turn on the grill and set it to medium heat.
After it warms for a certain amount of time, you can put on a pat of butter in a saucepan.
Then put the saucepan on the grill.
2. Cover Kippers With Butter
The key to making delicious grilled kippers is to use a lot of butter.
Set the prepared kippers down on a baking tray.
Then take the butter from the saucepan that was on the grill and spread it over the kippers.
Be generous with the spread.
3. Grill The Kippers
You can now place the baking tray on the grill.
Let the kippers cook for eight to 10 minutes, depending on the strength of your grill.
Prepare more butter and baste your kippers with it at regular intervals.
4. Serve With Sides
If you want to make a truly British grilled kipper breakfast, then you need to serve the grilled kippers with a side of grainy toast or eggs.
You’ll also want to have more butter on the side available.
Finally, add a few lemon wedges to add some citric zest.
Conclusion
Grilled kippers are very healthy for you.
They include minerals and nutrients that help keep your body running strong and efficiently.
They’re also low in mercury unlike other types of fish.
Consider the health benefits above and follow the steps to properly grill your kippers.
