Cod or Hake
Food · Protein · Food, Typed Supps
The fish is lean and mild. The smoking is what adds the salt.
Stage by stage
- Intake (Firm flesh chewed): Brine-firmed flesh flakes rather than falling apart; salt is tasted immediately.
- Digestion (Fast proteolysis): Almost fat-free protein is broken down quickly in the stomach.
- Absorption (Amino acids and sodium): Amino acids and selenium are absorbed, along with a substantial sodium load from the cure.
- Use (Repair and clearance): Amino acids feed protein synthesis; the kidneys clear the excess sodium.
Time to effect
- Hours: Protein is absorbed within two to three hours; the sodium load is cleared over the following day.
Allergens
Contains: Fish. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.
Eating patterns
Fits: Pescatarian, Kosher, Keto, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Halal, Low-FODMAP.
Satiety
210 on the satiety index, where white bread is 100 — very high. Modelled from the Holt et al. (1995) measurements.
Environmental footprint
13.6 kg CO2e and 3691 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Fish (farmed)" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.
Cost band
Mid — roughly £11 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.
Key nutrients
Nutrition per 100g
- Calories: 95
- Protein: 20.1g
- Carbohydrate: 0g
- of which sugars: 0g
- Fat: 1.5g
- of which saturated: 0.4g
- Fibre: 0g
- Sodium: 548mg
Food vs. supplement
A serving covers roughly half a day's selenium, which is the nutrient most often supplemented for this reason, and does so without the narrow margin for excess that selenium tablets carry. Its omega-3 content is real but modest — around a tenth of what an oily fish supplies — so lean white fish is not a substitute for oily fish or a fish oil capsule on that front.
Kitchen tip
Soaking smoked fillets in milk or water for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking draws out a share of the salt and softens the texture — the traditional step before poaching. Because the flesh is so lean, poaching or steaming suits it far better than dry heat, which turns it stringy. Season the rest of the plate lightly; the fish has already brought the salt.
Common myth
“Smoked fish is a healthier way to eat fish.” In reality: Smoking is a preservation method built on salt. The fish underneath is lean and high in protein, but the finished product carries several times the sodium of the fresh fillet, and that is the trade-off worth knowing.
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