By Alysa Ferguson
Seafood is delicious and can be very good for your family’s health. But choosing fish that is healthy, safe, and sustainable to the environment is a difficult task. The best choices would be high in omega-3 fats, low in mercury, and preferably not damaging to our oceans. Here is a list of fish that are low in mercury with no major caveats:
- Anchovies (European)*
- Catfish (US)
- Clams (farmed and US wild)
- Crab, King (US)
- Crab, stone
- Crayfish/Crawfish (US farmed)
- Herring, Atlantic (US)*
- Lobster, spiny (CA, FL & Mexico)
- Mussels (farmed)
- Oysters (farmed & wild) Pollock, Alaska (US)
- Salmon, Wild (from AK, CA, OR, & WA)*
- Sardines, Pacific (Canada & US)*
- Scallops (farmed or wild)
- Shrimp (Canada or US wild)
- Soles (Canada & US)
- Squid
- Striped Bass
- Tilapia
(*High in omega-3)
The American Heart Association recommends eating fish (particularly fatty fish) at least two times (two servings) a week, so aim to have at least one of these be wild salmon, sardines, herring or anchovies for a healthy dose of omega-3’s. To keep the seafood healthy, limit deep-frying and butter sauce. Stick with baking, broiling, grilling, steaming, or even sautéing in a small amount of olive oil, and season with lemon, herbs and spices, or other low-sodium flavorings.
If you’re not a fish-eater you can get omega-3 from plant sources, such as walnuts, canola oil, flaxseed, soybeans and tofu. While these foods are very good for you and your family, they provide a different type of omega-3 that might not convey the same health benefits as the type from fish. Many have turned to omega-3 fish oil supplements, but unless you have high triglycerides, the research is lacking on whether this is of benefit to you or your family. New research is on the way…stay tuned for updates on this and similar topics.
Alysa Ferguson is a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator and family health educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. She can be reached at 631-727-7850 ext. 342 or at ah372@cornell.edu.