Squid: Health Benefits, Preparation, and Storage

As with almost any seafood, squid is packed with nutrients. It contains various minerals, including copper, selenium, and zinc. Because it has plenty of copper, consuming it can help your body absorb, store, and metabolise iron and promote the formation of red blood cells. If you have arthritis, then you may greatly benefit from eating squid because it contains high levels of selenium, which helps relieve the symptoms of the disease. Moreover, zinc acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and boosts your immune system.

Squid is also a great source of B vitamins, particularly vitamin B2, vitamin B3, and vitamin B12. In general, B vitamins are needed for energy metabolism, nerve health, heart health, skin and eye health, and reducing inflammation, among others. It also has plenty of vitamin E, which works with selenium in promoting normal body growth and and fertility.

If you wish to get more protein without compromising your calorie intake, then squid can help you with that. A 100-gram serving of squid can provide you with 15.5 to 16.1 grams of protein and only 75 to 85 kcal of calories. And, it does not contain any carbohydrates, so it can indeed be great for losing weight.

You can find squid or calamari most of the year, fresh or frozen. You can buy small ones that are 5-7cm long, or the larger ones that are about 25cm long.

How to prepare squid?

Preparing squid is easy once you get the hang of it. Start by cutting off the tentacles from the main body. Feel around on the inside of the body for the quill, which is a long, plastic-like shard. Pull it out. Keep the silvery ink-sac from the innards to colour the dish later. Then peel the purple and white skin from the meat. The beak is not eaten, so remove it from the tentacles. The beak looks like a small white piece of bone with a hole in the middle. You can cook both the tentacles and the body.

When cooking squid, make sure that it is either cooked very quickly or for a very long time to prevent it from getting tough. You know it is cooked properly when it is sweet and tender. You can slice it into rings and deep-fry it, or you can grill it whole. You can also stuff it.

Storing Squid

As much as possible, fresh squid should be eaten within two days. But, if you wish to eat it later, then you can clean and freeze it immediately. To freeze it, put it in a heavy-duty plastic freezer bag and squeeze out the air. Seal the bag tightly and put it in the freezer. Consume the squid within two months.

To sum up, whether you pan fry, deep-fry or grill squid, it can be a joy to have on your plate. It is also a great source of various nutrients, from selenium to vitamin E. Low in calories and high in protein, it can help you with weight control. And, it is easy to find; it is available most of the year. Check our fresh squid prices.