When we get to be over 50, we’re always looking for ways to enjoy life to the fullest—-and to eat healthy without adding significantly to our avoirdupois. Enter: the oyster.
According to one oyster grower in the Chesapeake Bay area, oysters are a great source of protein, vitamin C, thiamin, niacin, magnesium, and phosphorus. They are also a good source of vitamin B12, iron, copper, manganese, selenium and lots of zinc. Geez, sounds like a regular vitamin pill, doesn’t it? And according to CalorieKing, my favorite go-to resource for accurate calorie counts, in the US Eastern coast oysters are healthier than those that come from the Pacific side. Wonder if any growers would like to argue that one…
National Institutes of Health investigators studied intakes from both food and dietary supplements and found that 20%–25% of older adults aren’t getting enough zinc. You don’t even want to know all the bad stuff that can happen when you don’t have enough—-but slow wound healing and mental lethargy are two that can be particularly nasty as we get older.
Interestingly, growers at The Choptank Oyster Company claim that farmed oysters are lower in cholesterol and saturated fat than wild-caught oysters. Could this be the one time when our farming is doing something better than nature? Or could it be that nature knows what it’s doing, and a little bit of cholesterol and saturated fat is simply okay for us and not as horrible as the docs have been telling us?
Maybe you’ve never had oysters before. Maybe they’re your favorite low-cal source of protein. Or maybe you just love the way they taste—and slide down your throat. Either way, here are some oyster facts to consider:
- Good for your body: Oysters contain more zinc (good for growth, smell, taste, wound healing and immune function) than any food except red meat.
- Good for the environment: A single oyster, just by feeding itself, can filter huge amounts of micro-algae and silt from up to 50 gallons of water a day.
- Prolific: A single spawning female oyster can produce as many as 10 million eggs.
- Sustainable: Proper aquaculture can grow oysters for consumption while also reinvigorating natural populations that are dying from overharvesting. So say the Choptank folks
- Available: Modern refrigeration means you no longer have to wait for an “R” month to get good oysters.
Well, hey, let’s go out and celebrate these little miracles of nutrition—-and flavor. And who better to lead us than Chicago’s own Shaw’s Crab House. This fall brings the return of their famous 5-day Royster with the Oyster celebration at both the downtown and the Schaumburg restaurants.
Visit Shaw’s website for details on the 23rd Annual Royster events. Oyster specials and Oyster Slurping Contest every night, a fabulous special Oyster dinner on Thursday the 13th (reservations required), and on Friday the 14th the famous Tent Party in Chicago (this thing drew more than 5,000 oyster fans last year) from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 pm outside of Shaw’s Chicago location on Hubbard Street.
Here’s to the small but mighty—-nutrition-wise—-oyster! See you in the Tent. Way more fun than popping a zinc pill.
For more info, call 312.527.2722 (Chicago) or 847.517.2722 (Schaumburg).
Visit the website at www.shawscrabhouse.com
Tweet with The Shaw’s Mermaid at www.twitter.com/shellyfromshaws or
Interact on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shawscrabhouse
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