Dishing With… Nancy Tringali Piho

Hello Seafoodies!

Today, we’re dishing on all things seafood with special guest Nancy Tringali Piho, RDN, LD. Nancy wears many hats – she’s a 20-year veteran of the food marketing industry, book author, registered dietitian-nutritionist, nutrition counselor and, most importantly, mom to two boys. One of Nancy’s books, “My Two Year Old Eats Octopus,” marks its 10^th anniversary of the release this year!

We caught up with Nancy to learn more about her go-to seafood favorites and advice for overcoming any anxiety about cooking seafood at home.

Let’s dig in!

1. Tell us about your business.

I have a private practice nutrition counseling business with another dietitian, and we blog at GoodFoodNutrition.com. Our blog posts focus on answering questions we receive most often from our clients, which often boil down to, “How can I feed my family or myself in a consistently healthy way, given the limits on my time or ability to cook?”

2. Why do you love seafood?

I love seafood first and foremost because it tastes good! And I love it all – everything from white, light fish like catfish or Branzino, to dark, heavier fish like tuna or salmon, to shellfish like oysters, shrimp and our local Chesapeake blue crab!

3. What is your favorite seafood dish to make at home or order at a restaurant?

Wow, that’s a hard one because there are quite a few! But if I had to pick my absolute favorite, it would probably be Charleston Shrimp and Grits.

4. What’s next on your “must make” or “must order” seafood list?

It’s been awhile since I’ve cooked a whole fish on the grill … and I want to do it again soon. It’s really not that hard to cook, and the flavor can’t be beat. The bones and skin of the fish help make it really moist. It also pairs well with any combination of vegetables, fruit, herbs and seasonings.

5. What are your tips for people who might be intimidated by preparing seafood at home?

Start with something easy – even canned or packaged tuna is a good way to start incorporating more seafood into your diet. There are few dishes as comforting as an old-fashioned tuna casserole. When you start to get comfortable with that, try preparing seafoods that offer a lot of variety in recipes and preparation styles – salmon or tuna fillets, for example, or even shrimp. You can find easy recipes for cooking in the oven, on the stovetop or grill, in the microwave, or whatever mode you prefer!

6. What are your tips for people looking to improve their health by including seafood in their diet?

Make a commitment to eat seafood more than you currently do, and set a timeframe. If you are eating seafood once every few months, make a commitment to eat seafood, somewhere and sometime – home, restaurant, lunch, dinner, whenever – once a month. If you’re already eating seafood once a month, try for two times next month. Try and work your way up to once a week and keep it there. This is not as difficult as it might initially seem. Because seafood offers such variety, you could literally have seafood every night for a week or more and not have the same thing twice!

To follow Good Food Nutrition Group on social media, check out their:

• Facebook: @GoodFoodNutritionGroup
• Instagram: @GoodFoodNutrtionGroup
• Twitter: @GFNGinDC

For more “Dishing With…” interviews similar to Nancy Tringali Piho’s, visit our website! For access to tasty and easy-to-make seafood recipes, be sure to check out our Pinterest page.