Marine fish belonging to the cod family, haddock can be found on the both sides of North Atlantic. While haddock and cod look alike, haddock have smaller mouth, more pointed snout, more concave tail, and slimmer body. They have purple grey head and back, but their most distinctive characteristic is a black blotch above their pectoral fin. They feed on fish eggs, mollusks, sea stars, sea urchins, and worms. Their predators, on the other hand, include cod, halibut, monkfish, sea ravens, seals, and spiny dogfish. When they are young, they live in shallow waters until they grow large enough to survive in deep waters. They become sexually mature at the age of one and four years, and they can survive more than ten years in the wild.

As food, haddock is mild-tasting. When cooked, it is lean, white, and flaky. Because of its mild taste, it is a great choice if you’re just starting to eat fish but are not used to a strong fish flavour. It is usually poached, battered, canned, dried, frozen, and smoked.

Additionally, haddock has various health benefits; it is a great source of macronutrients and micronutrients. These nutrients include:

Protein

One macronutrient that haddock contains high levels is protein. You can get 20.6 grams of protein from an 3-ounce serving of this fish; this amount is more or less 40 percent of the recommended daily intake. Protein gives you a feeling of satiety, and it takes more calories to burn protein than carbohydrates. As such, it can contribute to weight loss. The macronutrient is also essential for the prevention of various chronic diseases, including diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Vitamins

The body needs a wide range of vitamins to stay healthy. Haddock can provide you some of those vitamins, mainly those in the B vitamin family. A 3-ounce portion of the fish can provide 3.9 milligrams of vitamin B3 or niacin and 1.2 micrograms of vitamin B12 or cobalamin. Vitamin B3 can improve your cholesterol levels and reduce cardiovascular risks, while vitamin B12 is essential for the normal functioning of the nervous system and the formation of DNA and red blood cells. It also contains vitamin B6, which is needed for the normal functioning of the immune system and protein metabolism.

Minerals

As with vitamins, minerals are needed by the body to carry out its functions. Haddock contains high amounts of selenium -- a 3-ounce portion of the fish contains 34.4 micrograms of selenium, which is equivalent to almost 50 percent of the recommended dietary intake. Selenium is known to fight inflammation, increase blood flow, and lower free radical oxidative stress. Thus, it it is associated with reduced risks of cancer and cardiovascular health. Other minerals the fish contains include calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, and zinc.

To sum up, haddock is a great addition to your diet because of the wide range of nutrients it contains. It is rich in protein and various vitamins and minerals, which all contribute to keeping you healthy.