supplements contain only unrefined oil from wild Alaska Sockeye Salmon: a fish whose renowned purity is reflected in the pristine contents of our naturally colorful capsules.

Unlike standard fish oils, our naturally pure Sockeye Salmon Oil does not need to be chemically refined: a process that can damage omega-3s. Instead, our oil's purity and potency are certified by NSF.

As a result, our whole, unrefined Sockeye Salmon Oil retains all of the omega-3s (EPA & DHA), vitamin D, phospholipids, and fatty acids natural to whole Sockeye Salmon. 

The rich orange hue of our Salmon Oil comes from its natural complement of astaxanthin: the super-potent antioxidant pigment that gives Sockeye their distinctive color and protects our Salmon Oil's abundant omega-3s from oxidation.

In addition, ours was the first Salmon Oil supplement certified as sustainably sourced by the Marine Stewardship Council.

We encapsulate our Salmon Oil in pure fish gelatin, and offer special varieties for special needs:

• Smaller Softgels (500 mg)
• Liquid Salmon Oil for children and folks who may have trouble swallowing our 1,000 mg softgels
• Lemon-Flavored Salmon Oil for folks who experience bounce-back.

Vital Choice Salmon Oil (top left) vs. two standard fish oils

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!"

If you haven't tried our Wild Red Sockeye Salmon you're in for a treat, because it tastes much fresher than standard supermarket brands.

The rich, red color of the meat and oil is unlike any you're likely to have had before.

Our minimal processing methods ensure that you'll get the maximum amount of nutrients naturally abundant in Sockeye Salmon.

These include omega-3s, vitamin D, and astaxanthin: the super-potent carotene-class antioxidant that gives the oil brimming in every can of Wild Red its bright orange-red color. (The liquid in standard canned Salmon is pallid and watery by comparison.)
 

Choose Skinless-Boneless Wild Red, or Traditional Style with skin and soft edible bones for extra flavor and ample calcium.

Both kinds are available with salt (less than is added to most brands) or without added salt ... and several varieties come in EZ-Open pull-tab tops.

“You are providing a wonderful health-giving service to the planet with your business. And it is a pleasure to bring this information to my audience. It is also a pleasure to snap open these little cans of salmon and have an instant healthy meal!”

-- Christiane Northrup, M.D.

Sablefish is rarely seen in standard fish markets, but this buttery, flaky, white fish boasts its own rich texture and mind-blowing flavor ... and even more omega-3s than wild Salmon!

In addition to our certified Earth Kosher Sablefish, we feature golden Oven-Ready Smoked Sablefish: scrumptious, steaks infused with delicate alder wood smoke flavor, which cook fully from frozen in just a few minutes.

Environmental
Stewardship Program

Vital Green™ is our pioneering environmental program that does 4 things:

1) Fight global warming by offsetting the impacts of shipping.

2) Enable recycling of foam shipping cubes via our innovative FREE program.

3) Support seafood sustainability and promote a green partnership with our customers.

4) Offers an online, clickable e-Catalog to save trees and energy.
 

To learn more, and get instructions for recycling foam shipping cubes from Vital Choice, visit our Vital Green™ page.

Late last year, we launched a Vital Choice Photo Contest, with the theme
“Vital Moments, Vital Places”.

We asked readers to send in photos that would portray the ways in which they — or those around them — use and enjoy Vital Choice foods … at work, play, or on the road.

Or, people could send us photos that portray a meal or recipe based on Vital Choice foods.

We want to thank you everyone who entered!

From the many entrants, we picked 13 winners: Three top prizes and 10 runners up.

Each winner will receive the reward that corresponds to their prize, in the form of a Vital Choice Gift Certificate.

1st Prize - “Blueberry pancake helpers” by Sue Samer

2nd Prize “Debbie’s edge-of-the-ledge lunch” by Steve Muehlhauser

3rd Prize “Lunch at my desk” by Marti Sinnreich

_________________

10 Runners Up

Anthony Neri Keith Van Dyke Diane Koerner Deborah Burtley Sandy Fischer

Elyn Zerfas Deborah Mattox Ann Docherty Audrey Harley Diane Pierson

These three photos were Vital Choice staff favorites among the runners up:

Australian researchers have reported the hopeful findings of a large, controlled clinical trial, which indicates that premature infant girls enjoy improved mental development when mother's breast milk delivers high doses of the omega-3 fatty acid called DHA.

No effect was seen in premature infant boys.

DHA is an essential component of cell membranes, and is proven to enhance mental development.

The body can make DHA from a plant source omega-3 called ALA, but this is a very inefficient process. The only known food sources of DHA are seafood, algae and fish oil.

But fetuses cannot perform this conversion from ALA to DHA, and must rely on their mother to provide DHA via the placenta.

Because premature infants are born before their brains have fully developed, some may lack adequate DHA while their brains are still growing.

Breast milk and infant formula contain some DHA, but the amount may be insufficient for building brain matter in preemies. 

Aussie trial portends new hope for preemies

The Australian scientists hypothesized that adding DHA to the diet of a preterm infant could improve mental development in such kids.

The new findings, which flow from the largest trial ever to test omega-3s randomly in preterm babies, bolster that idea (Makrides M et al. 2009).

Study co-author Maria Makrides and her colleagues identified 657 premature infants born at 23 to 33 weeks gestation — roughly 5 1/4 to 7 1/2 months into a pregnancy — at five medical centers across Australia.

The babies were randomly assigned to get either a typical amount of DHA, as found in breast milk or formula, or a dose triple that amount (1000mg of DHA).

In bottle-fed babies, half received regular formula and half received formula fortified with added DHA.

Breast-feeding mothers took six capsules daily, with half the women getting fish oil and the others soy, which doesn’t add any DHA. The scientists tested the formula and breast milk to ascertain DHA levels.

Each mother was instructed to maintain her assigned regimen until her preterm baby reached its expected birth date.

The researchers examined each baby at 18 months from the child’s due date, using standard cognitive and behavioral tests that measure the baby’s alertness, curiosity, ability to do simple tasks for a reward and other behavior.

The researchers adjusted the data to account for differences between the groups in gestational age at delivery, gender, education level of the mother and birth order.

Girls receiving extra DHA either in formula or breast milk scored higher on the tests and were 57 percent less likely to have a mild delay in mental development and 83 percent less likely to have a severe delay, compared with ...

We spotted a great looking recipe in The New York Times, and in our first attempt, it proved as good as author Melissa Clark claimed, yielding “… juicy, meaty shrimp tinged with lemon zest, and spice-infused, tender, golden-edged broccoli.”

In place of standard, farm-raised fare, we used our Pacific Spot Prawns, which are flash-frozen in sea water on board the small boat, immediately after harvest. Their incredibly fresh flavor puts supermarket shrimp in a very distant second place.

And thanks to its virtually unique handling, our Prawns need contain none of the additives or preservatives commonly used in shrimp.

In an accompanying article titled “Green, Gold and Pink: Fast, Easy and Delicious”, food writer Melissa Clark made persuasive points about the rewards of roasting as a cooking method:

“Speedy methods such as steaming, searing and blanching seem too fleeting and insubstantial for the heft of dense winter turnips and compact Brussels spouts. Instead, come December, I crank up the oven and hardly turn it off until March ... Perhaps best of all, there [is] only one dirty pan; easy clean-up is welcome in any season.”

Her basic roasting recipe involves combinations of meats, poultry, tofu or seafood, and vegetables.

She coats vegetables with olive oil, seasons them with salt, pepper and other spices, and roasts them between 400 and 450 degrees, depending on the density of the vegetable.

Try the same approach by pairing the vegetables of your choice with our flash-frozen salmon, halibut, tuna, sablefish, scallops, or prawns.

Our Organic Seafood Marinade and Organic Lemon Pepper make versatile seasonings, or select the individual seasonings you prefer from our virtual spice pantry.

Roasted Spot Prawns with Broccoli

Adapted from Melissa Clark’s recipe in The New York Times.

Makes 4 servings.

2 pounds broccoli, cut into bite-size florets

4 Tbsps (1/4 cup) organic extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp whole coriander seeds

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1 1/2 tsps kosher sea salt

1 tsp organic black pepper

1/8 tsp organic cayenne pepper

1 pound wild Pacific Spot Prawns, shelled and deveined

1 1/4 tsps lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)

Lemon wedges, for serving.

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss broccoli with 2 Tbsps oil, coriander, cumin, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and chili powder. In a separate bowl, combine shrimp, remaining 2 Tbsps oil, lemon zest, remaining 1/2 tsp salt and remaining 1/2 tsp pepper.
• Spread broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Add shrimp to baking sheet and toss with broccoli. Roast, tossing once halfway through, until shrimp are just opaque and broccoli is tender and golden around edges, about 10 minutes more. Serve with lemon wedges, or squeeze lemon juice all over shrimp and broccoli just before serving.