A balanced diet is crucial for a healthy lifestyle and tuna is one ingredient that can sustain it.
"Fresh tuna fish contains a variety of nutrients: high protein, oils, vitamins and minerals" says Eleonor Ciantar, co-ordinator of the Home Economics Seminar Centre of the Department of Curriculum Management and e-Learning, DQSE at the Ministry for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport.
Protein, she explains, forms part of each cell in a person's organism. In fact, protein helps in the regeneration and production of cells in the body. It forms part of the cells of the skin, hair, nails, muscles, organs and glands.
Fresh tuna fish has a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids. As this is not a saturated fat it does not cause cardiovascular disease. "Omega-3 fatty acids serve an important role in our bodies because they help lower cholesterol and reduce the fatty deposits in the arteries and veins. These acids are also vital for the intellectual development in children," Ms Ciantar explains.
Vitamin D is also present in high amounts in fresh tuna. Although this vitamin is easily produced by the body through sunlight, another source of this vitamin, which helps to keep healthy levels of calcium and phosphorous leading to healthy bones and teeth, is food.
An important vitamin found in high amounts in fresh tuna is selenium. This vitamin assists the immunitary system of the body and refrains cells from being damaged, damage that could eventually lead to cancer.
Ms Ciantar has some advice: "Tuna is versatile and can be incorporated in several dishes varying from salads, stir-fries, grilled with rice or pasta accompaniments, in pies and also in the Japanese popular dish; sushi.
It is recommended that one consumes at least two portions of oily fish per week; tuna being one of them. It is, however, not recommended that canned tuna replace one or more of these portions.
In the processing some of the omega-3 fatty acids are lost and, therefore, consuming fresh fish is preferred and highly recommended".
A Tuna Fest will be held in Our Lady of Pompei Square, Marsaxlokk, today from 6 to 11 p.m.