Our wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon offers special appeal to those—like many of us here at Vital Choice—who like their wild salmon firm and flavorful.

These sustainably harvested fish are a super-healthy source of protein, rich in long-chain omega-3 essential fatty acids, and potent natural antioxidants.

And sockeye is a nearly unrivalled food source of bone-saving, cancer-curbing vitamin D, with a whopping 1,100 IU per 6-oz serving, or nearly triple the US RDA.

Our flash-frozen portions come vacuum-sealed for superior quality and convenience. Certified Kosher by EarthK

Vital Choice fresh-frozen organic blueberries, strawberries and red raspberries are rich in anti-aging antioxidants, and draw customer comments like this:
“OH MY GOODNESS! I cannot believe the flavor ... the taste reminds me of something from my childhood. Thanks for a great product!

Berries are incredibly healthful foods, and it's smart to seek out organic berries, grown without synthetic pesticides.

Our organic berries come in convenient one pound bags, each yielding about 3-1/2 cups. They freeze well, so you can keep plenty on hand!

A Cooking Light magazine article posted on CNN.com triggered some queries to our inbox, regarding the relative safety of wild and farmed Salmon.

The article’s author states that, contrary to the findings of all of several prior studies, new evidence shows that farmed Salmon is about as low in PCBs as wild Salmon.

We could not corroborate the author’s claim, whose source is not cited.

Every study we can find reports that farmed Salmon is five to 10 times higher in PCBs, compared to wild Salmon.

Key Points Wild Salmon remains the safest kind to enjoy unreservedly, but farmed Salmon is probably safe to eat in moderation. Farmed Salmon are not nearly as healthful as wild Salmon, but the difference relates more to nutritional distinctions than to purity. Experts agree that the countervailing benefits of omega-3s outweigh any possible cancer risk from minuscule levels of PCBs.

In 2004 and 2005, Canadian scientists published two studies, which generated the first big headlines on the topic of PCBs in farmed Salmon (Hites RA et al 2004; Foran JA 2005).

As they wrote, “Even the least contaminated farmed Salmon … had significantly higher contaminant loads … than wild Salmon.” (Hites RA et al 2004)

And subsequent studies have found similar purity gaps between farmed and wild Salmon, which are attributable to the much greater amounts of fish fat in the diets and bodies of farmed Salmon. (PCBs and other persistent organic pollutants accumulate in fish fat over time.)

But even if the Cooking Light article is right, and a new study reported finding lower PCB levels in farmed Salmon than detected previously, wild Salmon remains the healthier choice.

• “… while some differences were observed between farmed and wild fish … overall the concentrations of key contaminants were low, such that the regular consumption of these fish [farmed and wild Salmon] would not cause significant health risks.
• “… eating farmed Salmon twice a week would likely … approach the lowest … [tolerable daily intake level for PCBs] … established by the WHO [World Health Organization].”

While farmed Salmon are not as healthful as wild Salmon, its higher PCB content is probably less important than its inferior nutritional profile.

Article claims PCB levels in farmed Salmon have fallen

Given that all of the voluminous data we’ve seen on the subject shows that farmed Salmon is higher in PCBs, we were surprised to read the following in ...

We've got two easy recipes today, which offer the choice of white fish or red.

Speaking of red and white, each fish goes well with a wine whose color fits its own hue.

Halibut with Rosemary, Orange and Garlic

Adapted from How to Eat: The Pleasures and Principles of Good Food by Nigella Lawson (Wiley, 2002).

Makes 4 servings

4 fillets (4 to 6 ounces each) Alaskan Halibut

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

About 3 tablespoons olive oil or macadamia nut oil

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried organic rosemary

Zest from 2 oranges, finely chopped

• Pat the fish dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, rosemary and orange zest and heat just until the garlic sizzles. Add the fish and cook until golden and crisp on 1 side, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook until the fish is opaque throughout and flakes easily, 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness. The garlic and zest will turn golden; if they begin to brown, immediately reduce the heat to medium-low.
• Transfer the fillets to individual plates and spoon the flavored oil mixture over the top. Serve immediately.

Per 6-ounce serving: 183 calories, 25 gm protein, 1 gm carbohydrates, 8 gm fat, 34 mg cholesterol, 1 gm saturated fat, 178 mg sodium, trace dietary fiber

Poached Salmon with Chive Sauce, Pasta, and Vegetables

Adapted from a recipe by Linda Gassenheimer, author of More Low-Carb Meals in Minutes and 'Mix 'n Match Meals in Minutes for People with Diabetes.

Makes 2 servings.

Make the meal in this order:

1. Bring water for pasta to a boil.
2. Make salmon.
3. Make pasta.

Poached salmon with chive sauce

¾ lb. skinless bonless wild Alaskan Salmon fillet

1 tsp. butter (optional: if you prefer, use all oil instead)

1 tsp. olive oil or macadamia nut oil

½ T. fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 T. snipped fresh chives (or 1 T. freeze-dried chives)

• Fill a pot large enough to hold the salmon with water and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and submerge the fish completely. Cook at a gentle simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the salmon rest in the liquid for 3 minutes.
• Melt the butter in the microwave (20 to 30 seconds). Add the olive oil and lemon juice. Transfer the salmon to a serving plate. Drizzle with the butter mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper. Scatter the chives on top.

Per serving: 279 calories (48 percent from fat), 15 g fat (3.1 g saturated, 5.8 g monounsaturated), 101 mg cholesterol, 33.8 g protein, 0.4 g carbohydrates, O fiber, 92 mg sodium.

Vegetable pasta

¼ lb. spinach fettuccine or any pasta

2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup broccoli florets

1 tsp. olive oil or macadamia nut oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring 3 to 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Bring back to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  Add the fettuccine, carrots and broccoli 3 minutes before pasta is done. Remove about 2 tablespoons of the cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta and vegetables. Add the reserved water, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well.

Per serving: 296 calories (11 percent from fat), 3.5 g fat (0.5 g saturated, 1.8 g monounsaturated), 0 cholesterol, 9.9 g protein, 57.2 g carbohydrates, 3.4 fiber, 59 mg sodium.