These Pineapple Fish Tacos in the air fryer are so so good! The lime and chili powder balance the flavors giving a bit of spice and a lot of citrus zest.

The air fryer does an amazing job cooking fish crispy on the outside, soft and flaky on the inside. Ever since we got the General Electric oven with air fryer mode, I literally use it all the time. Don’t have an air fryer? Try this recipe on the grill! It will come out just as savory with a slightly blackened flavor that tastes like summertime.

Pineapple fish tacos support your gut health providing healthy fats (avocado and Greek yogurt), low calorie protein (tilapia), antioxidants (pineapple), and leafy greens that pack all of that and more (pad choi lettuce). All of these delicious ingredients are heaped onto a warm whole-wheat tortilla providing your gut healthy fiber without the blood sugar spikes. Overall, this meal provides 8 plant points, nearly 1/3 of your daily dose of plants, and a ton of taste!

Plant Points: 8

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gut healthy micro superstars featured in pineapple fish tacos

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How Much Effort are Pineapple Fish Tacos Going to Take?

First, make the pineapple salsa in the food processor. This is a quick dump recipe.
Second, add lime juice and gratings to Greek yogurt for a tart cream topping.
Third, prep the fish by drizzling extra virgin olive oil and seasonings over the top.
Fourth, air fry (or grill) the fish.
Assemble tacos! In this order, tortilla, fish, pineapple salsa, Greek yogurt, pad choi greens. Enjoy!

Healthy Benefits of Pineapple Tilapia Fish Tacos in the Air Fryer

Pineapple Tilapia Fish Tacos have plenty of gut healthy ingredients. Overall, the tilapia packs a ton of protein while the pineapple is full of natural vitamins and antioxidants. In case you haven’t read any of the other posts on Kait’s Cupboard, antioxidants are VERY IMPORTANT for our health. Before focusing on all things gut health, I thought they might be just for your skin and wrinkles. It turns out antioxidants help prevent chronic disease, some cancer, and support your immune system. Want to know more? Check out more gut health posts or read on to learn more about gut healthy ingredients in Pineapple Tilapia Fish Tacos in the air fryer.

Tilapia is High in Protein and Low in Calorie

Tilapia is high protein and low calorie, perhaps this is why it ranks in the top five most commonly eaten fish in the United States (Pearson, 2017). A half pound serving of tilapia (8 oz.) is 292 calories and has over 50 grams of protein! Compare that to a half a pound serving of chicken at 543 calories and 62 grams protein (USDA, 2022). Tilapia is a leaner, option with a greater proportion of protein per ounce!

After making this recipe, I did some more research on tilapia. The consensus is farmed fish has pros and many cons and wild caught options are often best. What I did not know was tilapia has some serious problems with their farming practices overseas. Therefore, it really is best to know your tilapia source and try to get it from the United States or Canada. Why? Well, tilapia is usually farmed, not wild caught. Often, it is farmed and exported from China (Pearson, 2017). Unfortunately, China has been found to feed tilapia fish food without appropriate food safety and quality checks leading to increased risk for salmonella (Pearson, 2017).

Bottom line: Know your tilapia origin story and if you can't find North American tilapia try halibut! It's has all the benefits of tilapia and more.

Pineapple Strengthens Your Metabolism and Immune System

Pineapples have a ton of vitamins, antioxidants, and healthy micro superheroes that help our body grow stronger. For example, pineapple has plenty of copper and vitamin B6 both of which help regulate your metabolism (Myint et al., 2018; Stach et al., 2021). Our metabolism helps us maintain a healthy weight and in turn, reduces the risk for type II diabetes.

Another way pineapples help ward off chronic disease is through their abundant antioxidants. Pineapple is particularly rich in flavonoids. Fruits rich in flavonoids often are brightly colored. Think lemons, bell peppers, and limes. This doesn’t always hold true though, kale also packs a ton of antioxidants into its leaves and it’s dark green. But anyways, back to pineapples.

The antioxidants inside pineapples have been found to increase people’s immunity to infection. Pineapples have a significant amount of bromelain, a healthy micro superhero that helps our bodies break down protein. Bromelain has been linked to many healthy benefits, but more work is needed to understand how much we need to see an effect in our health.

However, doctors have found eating pineapple can help strengthen our immune system (Cervo et al., 2014). In a randomized clinical trial of 98 children, doctors saw significant reductions in risk for bacterial and viral infection in groups of children eating canned pineapple over 9 weeks (Cervo et al., 2014). Given what we know about the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables to preserve as many micro superheroes in our food as possible, I would wager this effect may have been more salient with fresh pineapples!

Pro Tip

Pictured next to the Pineapple Tilapia Fish Tacos is a side of Seeds of Change Spanish Style Rice and Quinoa. It microwaves in 90 seconds and can be found on Amazon or at your local Costco. It’s a cupboard staple and an easy side dish.

Air Fry or Grill Gut Healthy Pineapple Fish Tacos Today!

Tilapia has nearly as much protein as chicken and about half the calories. Try this gut healthy fish taco recipe tonight! The pineapple salsa is literally a dump in food processor and press “pulse” situation until you have a chunky, salsa that is perfect as a garnish and doubles as an appetizer as well. Give it a try and post your comments below!