As with other seafood, shrimp is high in calcium, iodine and protein but low in food energy.
Shrimp by any name is considered a shellfish and is forbidden by some religious dietary laws.
According to Healthline.com, shrimp was not recommended for heart patients and for people watching cholesterol. A small 3.5 ounce portion of shrimp contains abut 200 mg of cholesterol.
For people at high risk for heart disease 200mg amounts to a full day’s allotment. 300 mg portion of shrimp is the limit for healthy individuals.
Shrimp is very low in total fat (about 1.5 grams per serving) with almost no saturated fat at all. Saturated fat is known to be particularly harmful to the heart and blood vessels, in part because our bodies can efficiently convert it to LDL (or bad) cholesterol.
Healthline.com reports that shrimp can be part of a heart smart diet as long as it is enjoyed in moderation, eaten boiled, baked or grilled, and not served fried or drowning in butter.
WebMD.com reports that shellfish is a nutritional powerhouse with its high-quality protein that's low in saturated fat and its wealth of heart-healthy omega-3s.
Here's a list of ingredients that's easier to follow than it looks.
Savory Pan-Fried Spiced Prawns
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
8 ounces medium prawns in the shell, washed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded and julienned
1 large scallion, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lime
Combine the salt, pepper, cumin and paprika in a bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat evenly. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sauté the shrimp 1 to 2 minutes. Toss in the jalapeno or bell pepper, scallion and garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat, stir in the lime juice and serve. Enjoy as is or with steamed white rice or sliced tomatoes.
Difference between sweet and savory is that one reflects a sugar sensation and the other does not. A salad is savory, but it could include sweet slices of strawberries or a sweet salad dressing, which makes the salad both sweet and savory. For the home kitchen cook, you want to include a little sweet with savory flavors in the meal to satisfy the tastebud senses. That usually means dessert.
Sweet Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Cream Pie
Serves 8 to 10
35 vanilla wafers, finely crushed (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 oz. BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate , divided
1/2 cup PLANTERS Creamy Peanut Butter
2 banana s, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into quarters
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
2 cups cold milk
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided
2 Tbsp. PLANTERS Salted Peanuts, coarsely chopped
Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix wafer crumbs and butter until blended; press onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate. Bake 5 to 8 min. or until golden brown. Cool completely. Meanwhile, make chocolate curls from 1/2 oz. chocolate. Refrigerate.
Microwave remaining 1-1/2 oz. chocolate and peanut butter in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min.; stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Place bananas in crust; drizzle with melted chocolate.
Beat pudding mixes and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in 1 cup COOL WHIP. Spread over bananas; top with remaining COOL WHIP. Refrigerate 3 hours. Top with chocolate curls and nuts just before serving.
To Make Chocolate Curls
Warm BAKER'S Chocolate slightly by heating it, unwrapped, in the microwave for a few seconds until you can just smudge the chocolate with your thumb. Hold the chocolate steadily between thumb and fingers of one hand and draw a peeler slowly over flat bottom of chocolate.
Allow a thin layer of chocolate to curl as it is peeled off the bottom. This will make long, delicate curls. Make short curls using the same technique on the narrow sides of the square. To arrange curls on a dessert, use a toothpick to lift them into place.
Sources: Kraft Sweet, US Freshwater Prawn and Shrimp Growers Association Savory
When meal planning choose a portion from each food group. Typically, most adults need 6 to 11 servings of grain products per day; 3 to 5 servings of vegetables; 2 to 4 servings of fruit each day; 3 cups of dairy products every day; and 2 or 3 ounces per day of meat which equals 2 servings.
Sensible portion sizes and limited number of servings keep even the most decadent sweet and yummy desserts part of a balanced diet.