National Nutrition Week 2026 Special: Try This Healthy And High-Protein

Asian-Style Steamed Fish

National Nutrition Week 2026 is a good reminder that how you cook your food is almost as important as what you cook, and this Asian-style steamed fish makes that point better than most recipes can. Steaming is one of the healthiest cooking methods, with no added fat beyond a drizzle of oil at the end, no high heat to break down delicate proteins, and no nutrient loss from prolonged boiling or aggressive frying. For a conversation around food and nutrition, it's hard to find a simpler place to start than a piece of fish cooked in nothing but its own vapour. This preparation is a classic Cantonese technique featuring a mild white fish steamed alongside julienned ginger, topped with a light soy-based sauce, and finished with raw spring onions and a drizzle of sizzling hot oil poured over just before serving. That final step, hot oil hitting raw scallions, gives the dish its signature aroma and a faint sizzle at the table, without ever needing the fish itself to touch a hot pan. All the while following what National Nutrition Week 2026 harps on – a balanced diet. This cooking technique originates in the southern coastal regions of China, usually done with a whole fish steamed and served at the family dining table, though fillets make it much easier for weeknight dinners for anyone less comfortable working around bones and skin. For the Indian kitchen, this recipe works particularly well with pomfret, bhetki (Indian barramundi), rohu, or katla.