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Seafood is a versatile protein that can bring benefits to your health and variety to your diet. It’s great year-round, but its light texture and quick cooking time make it even more perfect for these hot summer months.

In general, plant- and seafood-based fats can promote heart health. The unsaturated fats found in foods such as fish, olive and canola oil, avocados, nuts and seeds help reduce inflammation and improve cholesterol numbers, along with promoting both eye and brain health. Research has shown that just two servings of fish each week can provide enough unsaturated fats to reap health benefits.  If you are like my family and out fishing this summer, that’s an easy way to increase your seafood intake.

For a lot of us, when purchasing seafood, it’s important to consider sustainability as well.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the source of seafood you’re buying. “Responsible Choice” is a label given to seafood that indicates it’s from sources that can maintain or increase production in the long-term without jeopardizing the environment or other marine life.  Making responsible seafood purchases can play a role in ensuring a healthy supply of seafood to prepare for the dinner years to come.

When it comes to cooking fish and other seafood, any cooking method can be used, but summertime months are a great opportunity to take your fish to the grill.  First, pat your fish dry; too much moisture on the surface results in the fish steaming instead of searing. Second, do not move or turn your fish too much while on the grill. Turning fish only once or twice will produce distinct grill marks. Seafood should remove easily from the grill grates when properly seared; grease the grates with oil beforehand to help prevent sticking. Coating or marinating the fish in oil, as in our recipe below, helps seal in the natural juices of the fish, keeping the final product moist.

Getting outside and grilling Hy-Vee’s Responsible Choice seafood provides benefits to both health and environment. Are you ready to see how seafood can also benefit your weekly meal plan? Give this delicious and nutritious recipe for Tuna Steaks with Grilled Veggies. It’s perfect for indoor or outdoor grills.

Tuna Steaks with Grilled Veggies

Serves 4

All you need

• ½ cup Hy-Vee Select olive oil, divided

• 6 tbsp lemon juice

• 2 tbsp Hy-Vee seasoned salt

• 1 tbsp garlic paste

• 4 (8-oz each) tuna steaks, 1 inch thick, thawed if frozen

• 4 cups (about 2 pkgs) Hy-Vee Short Cuts precut vegetables (such as onions, mushrooms, asparagus, bell peppers, and/or snow peas)

•2 lemons, halved

All you do

1. Combine 5 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, seasoned salt and garlic paste in a medium bowl for marinade. 2. Reserve one-third of the marinade in a small bowl; set aside. Place remaining marinade in a large resealable bag placed in a shallow dish. Add tuna steaks. Seal bag and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, turning once.

3. Toss together precut vegetables, lemon halves and remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl.

4. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove tuna steaks from bag; discard marinade.

5. Cook tuna in grill pan for 5 minutes. Turn steaks. Add vegetable mixture to grill pan; cook with tuna for 5-7 minutes more or until desired doneness.

6. Drizzle cooked tuna steaks with reserved marinade. Serve steaks with vegetables and lemon halves.

Recipe source: hy-vee.com