Bassa

Food · Protein · Food, Typed Supps

Lean, mild and inexpensive — a white fish that gives you protein rather than omega-3.

Stage by stage

Intake (Minimal chewing): Low connective tissue means the fillet flakes apart with almost no mechanical work.
Stomach (Rapid protein digestion): Fish protein breaks down faster than red meat; cooking method changes water content, not composition.
Small intestine (Amino acids, iodine, selenium): Highly digestible amino acids are absorbed alongside iodine, selenium and B12.
Muscle & tissue (Repair and synthesis): Amino acids support muscle protein synthesis; selenium feeds antioxidant enzymes.

Time to effect

Hours: Amino acids from a fillet appear in the blood within roughly 1 to 2 hours.

Allergens

None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Halal, Kosher, Keto, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Low-FODMAP.

Satiety

203 on the satiety index, where white bread is 100 — very high. Modelled from the Holt et al. (1995) measurements.

Cost band

Mid — roughly £11 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 79
Protein: 15.7g
Carbohydrate: 0g
of which sugars: 0g
Fat: 1.8g
of which saturated: 0.5g
Fibre: 0g
Sodium: 84mg

Food vs. supplement

A genuine dietary source of iodine, selenium and B12 that needs no supplement alongside it. For EPA and DHA it is not a source at all, and oily fish or a supplement is the realistic route.

Kitchen tip

Cook to about 55 to 60C internal. Past roughly 65C the fillet squeezes out water and goes chalky. Baking or steaming without added fat leaves it as lean as the raw figures suggest.

Common myth

“Eating white fish like bassa covers the two-serves-of-fish-a-week advice.” In reality: Not for omega-3. Bassa carries roughly one fortieth of salmon's long-chain omega-3. It is a good lean protein with real iodine, selenium and B12 — but oily fish is a separate item on the list.