Nutritious & Delicious Are oysters nutritious? You betcha. So nutritious that during World War II, the U.S. military contracted with Washington oyster growers to provide oyster meats as an inexpensive source of protein for soldiers. Oysters are considered low calorie, easier to digest than red meat, and high in vitamins. In general, 100 grams of oyster meat contains about 66 calories and 8.4 grams of protein, with only 1.8 grams of fat. By comparison, 100 grams of cooked ground sirloin has 408 calories, 22.2 grams of protein and 34.7 grams of fat. Oysters are good sources of calcium, phosphorus, potassium and Vitamin A, the antioxidant believed to help prevent cancer and protect against bacterial infections, and prevent the drying out of skin and eyes that comes with the aging process. Because of their copper and manganese content, oysters are credited with the prevention and treatment of anemia, and because of their iodine content, they have been credited with preventing goiter. Even oyster shells are considered to be health aids. Oyster shell is used in traditional Chinese medicine to relieve hyptertension, heart palpitations, insomnia, dizziness, blurred vision, cold sweats and swollen lymph glands.
Without losing your vim Is by oysters in your diet They fill you with vigor But don't make you bigger If you don't believe it, just try it. To cut the cost of things you eat Just try a good rich oyster stew. For economy it can't be beat, Nutritious and delicious, too. --the poem above is from the Pacific Coast Oyster Growers Association 19th Annual Convention, Program, August 1965. |