Freezer-friendly canned salmon cakes and the most important thing about your diet.
Grocery Edit #1
Hello readers! This week I’m discussing the one thing that influences your health the most when it comes to nutrition: your dietary pattern.
I’m also thrilled to share my recipe for Freezer-Friendly Canned Salmon Cakes. This is one of my favourite make-ahead weeknight proteins. Paired with a simple sriracha dipping sauce, I promise you’ll love them, even if you’re not a fan of fish!
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What REALLY matters about your diet
If you've spent time on social media lately, you've likely noticed that influencers everywhere are demonizing seed oils. And before seed oils, it was gluten. Before gluten, it was sugar. Before sugar, it was carbs. Before carbs, it was fat. And so on. In the wellness industry, there's always a culprit - a single “toxic” ingredient or nutrient blamed for our growing waistlines and rising rates of chronic disease.
But in reality, decades of research (and failed culprits) show that one nutrient or food rarely causes health problems or poor nutrition. Each time we have a new culprit in the food system, it only adds to the confusion of nutrition misinformation and distracts us from what’s actually important.
Eating a serving of chips made with seed oils won't make you unhealthy, just like eating one salad won't make you healthy. This is because we don’t consume single nutrients or ingredients in isolation; we eat various foods in different portions and combinations over days, weeks, and years. The totality of these foods that you consume (or don’t consume) regularly is your dietary pattern.
So rather than getting caught up in the healthfulness of a single meal, ingredient, or item in your pantry, consider the bigger picture of your overall diet - what you’re eating over a week or month. THIS is your dietary pattern, and what you eat more or less over time WILL influence your health - positively, or negatively.
What Is a Healthy Dietary Pattern?
While there is no such thing as a perfect diet, and no single way of eating that will work for everyone, population data and large studies1 tell us several principles that can help reduce the risk of chronic disease:
Eat MORE fibre-rich plant foods - fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and pulses
Eat MORE healthy fats from minimally processed sources such as fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and avocado
Get your protein from a variety of sources, but MOSTLY from plants, fish, or lean animal protein
Eat LESS ultra-processed foods - such as refined carbohydrates, processed meats, and fried foods
Eat LESS added sugar and non-sugar sweeteners2
Putting a Healthy Dietary Pattern into Practice
While these principles can help to guide our daily single-ingredient food choices, applying them to packaged foods at the grocery store can be challenging. For example, you might know you should eat less sugar, but how much is too much in a granola bar? When I review food products, I aim to be as specific as possible with targets for packaged foods to help you choose options that support a healthy dietary pattern. My goal each week is to reduce the stress around grocery shopping and make it easier to select the right products for you and your family. But there will almost always be an element of it depends. No single food has the power to impact your health, but the combination of foods you eat over time does.
Freezer-Friendly Canned Salmon Cakes
This is one of my favourite weeknight meals. Not only is salmon rich in omega-3 and part of a healthy dietary pattern, but the convenience of this freezer-friendly protein helps me get a nutritious meal on the table even on the busiest days. I love to pair these salmon cakes with roasted sweet potato fries, steamed broccoli, and a super simple sriracha dipping sauce.
While this recipe is relatively simple, it does have several steps. Making these fresh may not be feasible for you on a weeknight. However, these salmon cakes freeze so well, making them a great option to incorporate into your meal prep routine. Prep them on a day when you have some time to spare (about 45 minutes) and keep them in the freezer for a heart-healthy protein option that’s ready in 20 minutes!
Equipment:
Chef knife and cutting board
Food processor
Small frying pan and utensil
Large mixing bowl
Mixing spoon
Fork or whisk
Measuring cups and spoons
Sheet pan and parchment paper (optional)
Freezer-friendly storage container
Ingredients:
3 ribs of celery
1 medium onion
2 large eggs
2 x 213g cans of salmon
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 tbsp dried dill
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
Sriracha Mayo dipping sauce for serving:
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise of your choice
1-2 tbsp sriracha (depending on your preferred spice level)
How to make them:
Quarter 3 ribs of celery, peel and quarter 1 medium onion. Add both to a food processor and pulse until minced.
Heat 1 tbsp avocado oil over medium-high in a medium skillet. Add the minced celery and onion. Cook until softened and starting to brown, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, crack two eggs into a large mixing bowl and lightly beat with a fork or whisk.
Open the two cans of salmon and strain the excess liquid. Place salmon into the food processor, and pulse salmon a few times until it takes on a minced consistency (be careful not to over-process or it will become mushy).
Add the salmon to the large mixing bowl with the eggs, followed by the cooked celery and onion, 1 cup of panko, 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 1/2 tbsp dried dill, 1 tsp paprika, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice. Mix with a large mixing spoon until combined.
Using a 1/3 cup measure, scoop out the salmon mixture and form into eight round patties. Place on a baking tray or directly into a freezer-safe container (see note for freezing).
To cook:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place frozen patties in the oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20-22 minutes, flipping halfway. Patties should be lightly browned and have an internal temperature of 165°F when done.
To make the Easy Sriracha Sauce:
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1-2 tbsp of sriracha (depending on your preferred spice level). Serve immediately.
Freezing note:
If you have space in your freezer, I suggest freezing patties on a baking tray before storing them in a freezer container. This will prevent them from sticking. Otherwise, place the patties directly into a freezer-safe container, ensuring they are not squished together, or they may stick.
Servings: makes 8 patties.
Prep time: 45 minutes.
Cook time: 20 minutes.
I would love to hear from you! Send me a message by clicking the button below or via the Substack app chat. Be sure to let me know if you tried the recipe. You can also send me your burning grocery shopping questions for my ‘Ask the Dietitian’ series. Chat soon!
~Brittany :)
WHO Guidelines: Sugar, non-sugar sweeteners.