Grouper with Spinach and Crushed Tomatoes

I’ve been studying nutrition as of late, reading up on health benefits and topics like nutritional density. What’s that?

Nutrient density is the ratio between the nutrient content of a particular food (defined in grams), and the energy (read: calories) your body receives from it. You want to have something with the highest amount of quality nutrients, for a low amount of calories.

Look for foods with a good amount of high fiber, protein, and vitamins. Depending on your dietary needs, you may want to concentrate on a specific section or sections of the nutrition label – if you need iron, pay attention to how much is in the foods you would normally consume, then adjust accordingly.

One the most enlightening things I’ve done recently is keep a food journal of everything I ate and drank during the day, for two whole weeks. The results were surprising! It’s easy to forget how much snacking goes on, or how much water you drink, but a journal can help you make easy changes to your diet for the better. The purpose wasn’t to lose weight or track calories, but rather to keep an eye on overall eating habits. Try it!

I enjoyed this simple meal, which I cooked for my best friend Niki after a long day of work and studying. The fish is lightly cooked in garlic and wine, topped with fresh vegetables. Fresh, flavorful and fast.

And it’s got all sorts of nutritional goodness! There’s iron from the spinach, lycopene from the crushed tomatoes, plus some healthy antioxidants from that delicious garlic. Grouper is fairly low in fat, making this a pretty healthful dish overall. Serve with some cous cous or brown rice for your daily dose of whole grains.

Grouper with Spinach and Crushed Tomatoes

Serves two

Ingredients:

1 large fillet grouper, about 8 oz

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 clove garlic, diced

1 cup crushed tomatoes (canned), drained

1/2 cup fresh baby spinach leaves

Directions:

In a deep frying pan, heat garlic and wine to a simmer. After a few minutes, carefully place grouper filet in the center of the pan. Layer fresh spinach leaves over the top of the fish, then spoon crushed tomatoes over top. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook on a medium-low heat for fifteen minutes, until fish is tender and flaky.