The Best Seafood to Eat

Commercial fishing for Atlantic salmon is banned, but luckily for fish-lovers, Pacific salmon is widely caught in Alaska and to a lesser extent along the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. The water quality of Alaskan fisheries in particular is high, and salmon numbers are closely monitored to ensure sustainability. The fish itself is highly nutritious, providing protein, magnesium, potassium, selenium, and B vitamins. It is also generally much tastier than farmed salmon.

Like salmon, herring and sprats (a close relative) are fatty fish with plenty of Omega-3s. They are also abundant in both the Atlantic and Pacific, with no environmental concerns. Smoked herring can be high in sodium and prepared versions with sweet or creamy dressings add calories, so these are best eaten in moderation.

Anchovies, sometimes termed a “superfood,” are an excellent source not only of Omega-3s but of selenium, niacin, potassium, and vitamin B-12, among other nutrients. Be aware that they’re commonly preserved with excessive salt, so should be eaten in moderation. (Some European anchovies are fished unsustainably, so their consumption is discouraged.)

Like anchovies, sardines are often considered a superfood because of their high levels of Omega-3s and other nutrients — especially selenium, phosphorus, and vitamin B-12. According to Seafood Watch, South American and European varieties may be harvested unsustainably, but the Pacific sardines that are most widely sold in the U.S. are fine.

One of the healthiest fish you can eat, farmed rainbow trout — the only kind you’re likely to find sold commercially in the U.S. — is a good source of fatty acids, protein, potassium, and vitamin D. Trout from natural lakes tend to be contaminated from agricultural runoff, while farmed trout are protected from contamination and raised on sustainably managed diets.

While farm-raised tilapia from China may be contaminated with toxins and is farmed in ways that negatively impact the environment, the equivalent from the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Peru, and Ecuador is recommended. It is a particularly good source of vitamin D and cobalamin, a B-complex vitamin. Wild tilapia is rarely sold.

Since the 1990s, overfishing has pushed Atlantic cod to the brink of extinction, though rebuilding plans have been in process for the last few years and cod numbers are expected to recover in this decade. Pacific populations, however, are stable, and this popular flaky fish is a good source of protein, phosphorus, and vitamin D.

A versatile flatfish, flounder is less dense than many other fish, and therefore delivers fewer vitamins and minerals. It is an abundant source of “complete” protein, though, meaning that it contains all the essential amino acids, especially leucine and lysine. Avoid Atlantic flounder, whose stocks are threatened by overfishing, and which may contain toxins.

Sole is a popular flatfish similar to flounder, mild-tasting and full of protein. As with flounder, fish caught in the Atlantic may be problematic for both health and environmental reasons.

Hugely popular around the world, shrimp is low in fatty acids, but is a good source of protein, iodine, and potassium. Imported farm-raised shrimp should be avoided, especially that from Southeast Asia, which may contain toxins and have negative environmental impact. Only about 10% of the shrimp eaten in America is wild-caught, but it is generally more flavorful than farmed.

Albacore tuna that is troll- or pole-caught tends to be younger and smaller than other tuna species, thus ensuring lower mercury levels. Like other tuna, it is a good source of Omega-3s.

Oysters are high in key nutrients, including iron, selenium, zinc, copper, and vitamins D and B-12. Not only that, but because they filter-feed, they also improve the water quality where they are found.

Using a novel tank-based system, freshwater coho salmon farms produce delicious and healthy salmon without the environmental and health risk factors associated with many other types of fish farms.

Mackerel from the Atlantic (like Atka mackerel from Alaska) is an oily fish, rich in healthy long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and low in mercury. King mackerel, on the other hand, while also full of nutrients, can have a very high mercury content and is best avoided.

Farmed striped bass has a mild flavor and is considered a good source of Omega-3s and other nutrients. The wild-caught fish, while prized for its richer flavor, can accumulate PCBs, mercury, and other toxins as it grows large. The FDA recommends eating no more than one serving a week of stripers caught in the wild.

This mild fish, related to cod and known for its use in fish sticks and other processed fish products, is caught wild in the northern Pacific. It is particularly high in B-12, and is considered mercury-safe.

This high-fat fish, which resembles a cross between trout and salmon, is high in fatty acids and also carotenoids, the antioxidant pigments that give it its salmon-like color. Char is raised in on-shore tanks in the U.S., Canada, Iceland, and Norway that limit the level of contamination usually associated with farm fisheries.

Mahi-mahi is a tropical fish, low in calories and high in nutrients. It is also called a dolphinfish, though it has nothing to do with the mammal called dolphin.

Like other slow-growing fish, ocean perch has some mercury content, but it isn’t excessive, and an occasional perch dinner is justified by the fish’s high levels of other nutrients. It is low in Omega-3s. (Ocean perch isn’t to be confused with freshwater perch, which is unrelated.)

While Atlantic halibut has been overfished and may contain substantial quantities of mercury and/or PCBs, its mild-flavored Pacific cousin is high in protein and other nutrients, most notably, selenium. Like other large fish, it does contain mercury, but in somewhat smaller amounts than tuna.