If you are an avid caviar eater and already enjoy the best Beluga, Sevruga and Oscietra caviar we have a fun challenge for you. Try branching outside of your comfort zone and purchase one of the hundreds of different types of caviar We all know that the Caspian Sea caviar is the lightest and sweetest, but did you know that caviar is now distributed from Latin America, Bulgaria and of course the United States? Even more exciting is the fact that within each country there is a variety of sturgeon producing delicious caviar!
So let's jump into a quick review of these less-talked-about ikura, and you can start testing them out. We are going to focus on American caviar because they are inexpensive, and there are so many to choose from. All caviar in the United States is farmed in freshwater lakes and includes sturgeon caviar paddlefish caviar hackleback caviar whitefish caviar and salmon caviar.
Because Caspian Sea caviar demand was so high, the Caspian Beluga is now endangered so it is even harder to find it and the prices of Russian and Iranian caviar has sky-rocketed. The United States caviar industry has taken advantage of this and is doing a great job of filling demand and is doing so in an environmentally-friendly way with their seafood. They have also done a great job of matching the flavor and quality of the famous Caspian caviar while keeping the prices affordable.
The first American caviar that you must try is the Hackleback caviar, also known as American Sturgeon. This sturgeon lives in the Mississippi River, and its roe is small, black, melts in your mouth and leaves a wonderful aftertaste. This aftertaste is what differentiates it from other caviars, and it's great. If you are looking for caviar that tastes similar to the Caspian Osetra, look for the white sturgeon from California.
If you crave salty and juicy caviar, try some Salmon Caviar. This roe comes from the female salmon that can be found in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Its appearance is beautiful, with its bright and reddish color and it's usually used as a garnish. Another American caviar that is commonly used as a garnish is the Whitefish caviar. These eggs are very firm, golden in color and taste wonderful.
Finally, we can't talk about the Paddlefish caviar which out of all of the American caviars is the closest substitute to Sevruga. If you are not familiar with Sevruga, it is the most expensive sturgeon caviar from the Caspian Sea. The Paddlefish caviar is found in the Mississippi River, and its popularity is increasing quickly, so make sure you order some right away. Just like Sevruga, when you eat this caviar you will be amazed at its smooth and slightly salty flavor.
There are more American caviars, but these are a perfect start for anyone who is looking to branch out of their comfort zone or just looking for caviar that is not expensive. Enjoy testing these out, we sure do!
Animal protein is a good source of amino acids and essential fatty acids, making it part of a healthy diet.
In our modern world, we tend to gravitate towards meats like beef, chicken, turkey, and pork. More adventurous eaters might venture out to try lamb or bison.
But, the unconventional meat list doesn't end there.
In fact, game meats like deer, elk, squirrel, rabbit, quail, duck, and raccoon can provide similar nutrient values to your more traditional meats.
Hunting and cooking these game meats is truly living off the land.
Interested in learning more about making game meats part of your diet? Need to know the healthiest wild game meat?
In this in-depth post, we'll go into everything you need to know to include wild game meat in your diet.
What Is Game Meat?
If you're new to the hunting scene, you might be wondering what game meat is. According to Britannica Encyclopedia, game meat is considered the flesh of any wild animal or bird.
Game meat is compartmentalized into three tiers:
- Small birds like quail and thrush
- Winged game like goose, ducks, grouse, pheasant, and more, and ground game like squirrel, raccoon, hare, and rabbit
- Big game like deer, elk, moose, caribou, and other big game like bear and wild boar
Game meat is not commonly eaten, however, all sources of game meat are totally edible when cooked.
Fatty Acid Composition
One of the predictors of a healthy protein is its fatty acid composition. There are two essential fatty acids that we have to include in our diet because our body doesn't make them on its own. These are omega-3 and omega-6.
Maintaining a healthy balance between omega-3 and omega-6 in the body can support healthy inflammation levels, brain function, and heart health.
Researchers hypothesize that our ancestors ate a diet that had a one-to-one ratio of omega-3 to omega-6. In our Western Diet, it is believed that most people consume at a ratio of one-to-twenty. This sets the stage for inflammation, a state implicated in most diseases.
To maintain this ratio, you can eat foods high in omega-3s and limit foods high in omega-6. Game meats provide the fatty acid balance.
Based on an analysis of game meats like deer, pheasant, hare, and wild boar, researchers found that game meat has the optimal one-to-one ratio of omega-3 to omega-6. This means that they provide the right balance of fatty acids for optimal health. In this study, wild boar was the exception, with a lower omega-3 content.
Depending on the fatty acid profile of the individual game meat, game meat can be a good source of healthy fats.
Wild Game Foods
While there are many kinds of game meat, to go into every single one would be out of the scope of this article. Instead, we've compiled the nutrient values of some of the most common game meats. This meat calories chart is based on three-ounce portions unless stated otherwise.
Deer
When compared against hare, wild boar, and pheasant, deer has the highest omega-3 content. This is probably one of the healthiest wild game meats you can eat. The total fat content of deer is 2.4 grams three-ounce per serving.
Sitting at 23 grams of protein per serve, deer is a good source of protein and amino acids. It totals in at 120 calories.
Deer is also a good source of B-vitamins and iron.
Elk
Elk has a higher omega-6 content when compared to beef and totals to about 7.6 grams of fat per serving. However, it is a good source of protein with 22.6 grams per serving. It comes in a little calorically dense than deer at 164 calories.
Elk also provides high levels of zinc, B-12, and niacin.
Squirrel
Squirrel has high levels of protein with 26.2 grams per serving. But, it's not the healthiest with about a one-to-ten omega-3 to omega-6 ratio of the 4 grams of total fat.
When it comes to vitamins and minerals, squirrel provides a decent amount of B-12, phosphorous, selenium, iron, and niacin.
Rabbit
Rabbit, while a little higher than squirrel, is not a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. However, it does have much lower levels of omega-6, giving it a more desirable omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.
With 120 of its 147 calories per serving coming from protein, its 28.1 grams of protein make it an optimal protein source.
Other nutrients found in high levels in rabbit are vitamin B-12, iron, phosphorous, and niacin.
Quail
Quail is a relatively small bird and doesn't provide a lot of meat. For this reason, serving sizes for quail are much smaller, averaging about one ounce.
Quail is one of the least nutrient-dense game meats, containing significantly lower levels of B-12 and other vitamins and minerals than the previously mentioned proteins.
However, quail does provide a decent source of protein with about 7 grams in each 66 calorie serving. It also contains 4 grams of fat, with a one-to-seven omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. While this is better than some sources of fat in the Western diet, it doesn't stand up to the fatty acid profile of rabbit or deer.
Duck
Duck is one the more indulgent game meats, containing a whopping 28 grams of fat and 337 calories per 100-gram serving. It still provides 19 grams of protein, making it a decent source.
Although, duck has an unfavorable omega-3 to omega-6 for keeping inflammation levels low and supporting a healthy heart.
It's also one of the least nutrient-dense foods, acting only as a good source of selenium.
Raccoon
Raccoon is not one of the commonly eaten game meats, although it packs a nutritional punch.
Surprisingly, raccoon game meat is one of the best sources of B-12 when compared to other game meats. It also provides a good amount of selenium, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, phosphorous, and vitamin B6.
Although it has less fat per serving than duck, raccoon still contributes about 12 grams of fat. This fat content mostly consists of omega-6, however, it's fatty acid profile is still more favorable when compared to duck.
Sourcing Wild Game Meat
Wild game meat is abundant in nature and not so much in supermarkets. To source wild game, you'll have to go out and hunt it yourself. Thankfully, stores are around to allow you to do hunt right.
However, there are some things to keep in mind before hunting wild game.
Make Sure Your License Is Current
Any form of hunting requires a license, so make sure your license is current. If you don't currently have a hunting license, make sure you obtain one.
Be Aware of Your State's Hunting Laws
Being are of the hunting laws in your state is important before you go out and try to hunt wild game. Regulations change often, so be sure to continuously check on them before engaging in any hunting practice.
Equip Yourself
Make sure you are using the best of the best to have the most successful hunting day. Having high-quality equipment is an absolute must. Having good quality rifles with scopes, ammo, camouflage, and hunter orange are some of the basics you'll need before a hunting session.
Start with Small Game
If you're a beginner, starting with small game can be a good way to practice your new hobby. Going too big too fast can be overwhelming and dangerous. Practice one small game like quail, ducks, squirrels, rabbits, and others.
Go With a Group
As you start to become more experienced, you'll want to start hunting bigger game. However, this can prove difficult considering larger game can weigh upwards of one hundred pounds. You'll want to have some buddies around to help move your game.
Cooking Wild Game
Thankfully, wild game meat can be treated like any conventional meat in terms of cooking. Game can be roasted, stir-fried, broiled, seared, or fried.
If you don't want to cook your game meat right after hunting, you can easily freeze the meat and thaw it once you are ready to eat it.
Game Meat Is a Healthy, Unconventional Source of Nutrition
Experiencing everything the world has to offer means getting adventurous with your food choices. Stepping out and trying nutritious wild game meat can be one way to expand your palette and acquire new experiences.
When sourcing game meat, make sure you have your license, knowledge of regulation, and equipment squared away for the best hunting experience.
Overall, any wild game meat can be a nutritious contribution to a healthy diet.
Looking for more information on health, fitness, and nutrition? Interested in learning about outdoor activities like hunting? Check out My Frugal Fitness, a source of free information on various topics.
There are 307 million lakes in the world. With a number like that you're bound to be lakeside at some point of your life.
Whether it's swimming, boating, or fishing, lake life offers a lot of options for leading an active lifestyle. Spending the days on the water offers health and wellness benefits in and of themselves, but activities on the water take those health benefits to the next level.
Ready to try your hand at a new water sport in order to get in some quality sunshine and water time? Nothing says "lakeside" like fishing.
Check out this beginner's guide on how to fish. It'll give you the 411 on everything you need to know before you hit the water.
What to Buy Before You Get to the Lake
Although the up-front cost of fishing is not crazy, it does take a small investment to get started. Cross items off this checklist to make sure you have everything you need before you head out to the lake.
- A state fishing license
- A fishing rod and reel
- Monofilament fishing line
- Fishing weights
- Fish hooks
- A plastic or cork bobber
- Live bait or fishing lures
- Appropriate fishing apparel
- An ice chest or cooler
You can purchase a fishing license online. Most everything else can be purchased at a local sporting goods store. If it's a lakeside town, there's likely a bait and tackle shop you can check out for a local's help to get going.
Plan Ahead
That local at the tackle shop just may become your new best friend. You'll need to do a little research to pick the right spot for fishing, and who would know better than a local fisherman?
Find out if you need a boat or can fish from a dock. Then, make sure there is public access to any dock or shore from which you'd like to fish.
Check with local authorities to understand the bag limits, or creel limits, at each lake.
A bag limit is a specific criterion that needs to be met before you can keep the fish. Some lakes have a size (length and weight) minimum. Some lakes have a maximum take number.
Double check on the weather before you head out the door. You will be out on the water. Bad weather can be extra bad from a boat. Don't risk your first fishing experience with bad weather.
Set Up Your Equipment
Once you reach your fishing spot, you'll need to do a little equipment prep.
You'll need to attach a hook, weight, and bobber to your fishing line. First, attach the hook at the bottom of the line using an improved clinch knot. Then, attach at least one weight about six to twelve inches above your hook.
Depending on the type of fish you are fishing for and how deep the lake is, you'll need to attach a bobber that will float your hook at a certain depth. Remember that the hotter it is outside, the deeper you'll need to fish to catch the same species.
(Pro Tip: Fish like colder water better. Try to find the inlet to the lake, where the cold river or spring water rushes in. You'll likely find more fish there.)
The Improved Clinch Knot
Use caution when tying on your fishing hook. The hook is barbed and will catch on your fingers fairly easily.
On the end opposite from the barbed hook, there is a hook eye. Pass the fishing line through the hook eye. Take the loose end of the fishing line and make five turns around the standing end of the fishing line.
Then, insert the loose end into the first loop made around the standing line. This will create a secondary loop. Pass the loose end back through the secondary loop.
Tighten the knot slowly to make sure no part catches awkwardly. Try wetting the line to make the tightening go more smoothly.
Ta-Da! An improved clinch knot!
Practice Your Cast
Casting is everything. It takes practice to perfect your cast, so don't be embarrassed by your casting technique off the bat. It will get better.
Being able to consistently put your lure in the strike zone will increase your chance of a bite, and decrease your chance of a lost lure.
You can purchase a cheap casting plug, which is a tool that helps you practice your cast. Find a secluded area, away from other people, and just keep casting until it feels natural.
Regardless of the type of reel you have, the technique for casting is generally the same. Unlock the line and hold it with a finger so that the line doesn't pool at your feet on the shore.
Then, swing your rod in an arc, releasing the finger holding the line when the line reaches the top of the arc. The hook should fly out over the water from the momentum and the heft of the weight.
As the line sinks, lock the reel back in place so that the line doesn't keep unraveling.
Leave it Better
Leave the lake better than you found it.
This means packing out all of your trash. Fishing line can be very harmful to birds and other wildlife. Make sure you clean up your fishing area, remove all the discarded fishing lines and lures.
Practice conservation in the form of quick release. If the fish is too small to keep, try to quickly and safely return the fish to the water. Don't waste resources for the next angler to come along.
How To Fish: Enjoy the Lake
Now that you have the basics of how to fish, get out on the water and enjoy the lake!
Whether you catch anything is beside the point. Breathe in the fresh air and soak up some sun while learning a new hobby and experiencing nature.
If fishing isn't for you, there are plenty of other water sports to try out. Check out this article outlining other seasonal hobbies to help keep you outside and active year-round.
