The Kojo Nnamdi Show

Chef Barton Seaver has long been advocating for Americans to eat healthier and more responsibly. He'll join Kojo for this Wednesday's food show to talk about his new book, "For Cod and Country," and to share ideas about how to eat what he calls "restorative seafood."

One of Seaver's main points is that more healthful eating habits go hand-in-hand with promoting sustainability, especially where seafood is concerned. During a 2010 TED Talk, Seaver said that pocket guides like the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Guides can be a great help to consumers in selecting which fish are best to eat from an environmental perspective, but they don't tell the whole story. He gave the example of whole-caught Yellowfin tuna, which is says is on the "green list," meaning it's one of the most environmentally friendly to eat. But he argues that if you sit down to a 16-oz. portion of Yellowfin at a steak house three times a week, you're not doing yourself - or the oceans - any favors. Along the same lines, he argues that we have lots of eco-friendly shrimp, "...but we can never have an eco-friendly all-you-can-eat shrimp buffet."

Seaver says that one of the main things people can do is cut back on their portion sizes of fish and other seafood, no matter what kind is on their plate. He suggests that people increase their intake of vegetables in compromise. "Vegetables might yet save the ocean," he said during his TED Talk. Seaver thinks that vegetables, when prepared simply and creatively, are an "easy sell" and a great fix for our "protein problem."

And Seaver doesn't shy away from dramatic language. "Forget the nuclear holocaust," he said. "It's the fork we have to worry about."