Paleo Coconut Crusted Fish Tacos with Honey Mustard Slaw (GF/DF/Paleo)

I literally ate tacos almost every single day last week. And I’m kinda not sorry about it. I love tacos. I mean I really LOVE tacos. If I could only eat 1 food for the rest of my life, it might be tacos.

But out of all the tacos I’ve tried, these were hands down the highlight of the week. They are out of this world. With the crunchy coconut coating, tender fish and creamy sweet slaw, you really can’t go wrong.

The best part? They only take 30 minutes to make!

Wild Caught vs Farmed Fish:

I personally always buy wild caught fish. Farmed fish live in crowded polluted waters and are frequently fed large amounts of antibiotics to keep them from getting sick or they are genetically modified since they are more prone to parasites and diseases. They are also frequently injected with dye to make them look healthier at the store because they tend to be grey in color (from a lack of nutrients). Gross, right?! They lack these nutrients because their diet is usually a cheap mix of corn, grains and fish oil. This makes the fish less healthy for us to eat as well. Farmed fish are also frequently soaked in a bath of sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) which helps to preserve them and makes them look fresh and glossy. But it is a known neurotoxin. More bad news for those of us eating it. Farmed fish is done in hopes to prevent over-fishing practices, which is good in theory, but unfortunately their standards are just not up to par.

Wild caught fish are caught in their natural habitat and have a much more diverse diet. They are significantly more nutrient dense, free from antibiotics and dyes and preservatives and taste a lot better. That being said, they are also at risk for being over-fished. So you have to consider sustainability as well. For example, salmon is a very popular fish and therefore at risk for over-fishing, but it doesn’t mean you should never buy it. I think the lesson here is to also consider purchasing less popular fish.

Another consideration is to look at mercury levels in the fish you are buying. As a general rule, smaller fish tend to have lower levels of mercury than larger fish (the large fish eat a lot of smaller fish which compounds their mercury levels.) I would check this website for mercury levels in fish and recommendations on consumption: Natural Resources Defense Council

I have selected wild caught cod for my fish tacos, but honestly any firm white flaky fish will do.

Now that we know a little more about where our fish comes from and how to select the best fish for your family, let’s get cooking!

References:

Food and Water Watch. “What’s Wrong with Factory Fish Farming?” 1 February 2013.

Stier, Ken. “Fish Farming’s Growing Dangers.” Time. 19 September 2007.

Kresser, Chris. Revolution Health Radio: Dr. Chris Shade on Mercury Toxicity. 12 November 2015.

Sustainable Seafood Coalition. “Commercial Aquaculture: Potential Environmental Issues.”

Washington State Department of Health. “Farmed Salmon vs. Wild Salmon.”

Kirpatrick, Kristin. “Fish Face-off: Wild Salmon vs Farmed Salmon.” Cleveland Clinic. 3 March 2014.

Sission, Mark. “The Many Faces of Aquaculture: An Introduction to Fish Farming.” Mark’s Daily Apple.

Natural Resources Defense Council. “Mercury Contamination in Fish.”