SHOPPING & COOKING GUIDES
Essential EatingWell Seafood Guide
 | | Good fish choices for your family and the planet. |
Best | Caution Advised | Worst
Best Choices
Anchovies
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Catfish (farmed)
Healthy Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Environmentally benign
Caviar (U.S. farmed)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest notes: Environmentally benign
Clams
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Cod (Pacific)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Crab (except king and blue)
Healthy Concerns: Mercury contamination, limit to 1 meal/week
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Flounder (Pacific)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Halibut (Pacific)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination, limit to 2 meals/month
Omega-3s: Good
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Herring
Healthy Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Mackerel (except king)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Mahi-Mahi (dorado)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination, limit to 1 meal/week
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Mussels
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Good
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Oysters (farmed)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Very good
Harvest Notes: Environmentally benign
Pollock
Health Concerns: (Pacific Pollock) PCB residues, limit to 1 meal/week
Omega-3s: Good
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Salmon (wild)
Health Concerns; No advisory
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Well managed (some endangered)
Sardines
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Shrimp (U.S. farmed, U.S. or Canadian wild caught)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Good
Harvest Notes: Environmentally benign/Abundant
Sole (Pacific, English/Dover)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Squid
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Good
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Striped bass (farmed)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Very good
Harvest Notes: Environmentally benign
Sturgeon (farmed)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Environmentally benign
Tilapia (farmed, U.S. and Central America)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Environmentally benign (U.S.), ecologically destructive (foreign)
Trout (rainbow, farmed)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Very good
Harvest Notes: Environmentally benign
Tuna (canned, light)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Tuna (yellowfin, farmed)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination, limit to 3 meals/month
Omega-3s: Good
Harvest Notes: Environmentally benign
Caution Advised
Crab (king)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Regionally overfished
Lobster (Maine/American)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination: limit to 2 meals/month
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Regionally overfished
Lobster (spiny/rock)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Regionally overfished
Monkfish
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination, limit to 2 meals/month
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Overfished
Oysters (wild)
Health Concerns: PCB residues, limit to 3 meals/month
Omega-3s: Very good
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Salmon (farmed)
Health Concerns: PCB, dioxin and pesticide residues, limit to less than 1 meal/month
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Farms are ecologically destructive
Scallops
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Abundant/Regionally overfished
Sea bass (wild)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination, limit to 1 meal/week
Omega-3s: Very good
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Tuna (canned, white)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination, limit to 3 meals/month
Omega-3s: Very good
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Tuna (steaks)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination, limit to 1 meal/month
Omega-3s: Very good
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Worst Choices
Bluefish
Health Concerns: PCB, mercury and pesticide contamination, Avoid
Omega-3s: Very good
Harvest notes: Overfished
Caviar (wild sturgeon)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished
Chilean Sea Bass
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination, limit to 2 meals/month
Omega-3s: Very good
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished, destructive harvest
Cod (Atlantic)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished
Crab (blue)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination, PCB residues, limit to 1 meal/month
Omega-3s: Good
Harvest Notes: Recovering
Flounder (Atlantic)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished
Grouper
Health Concerns: Mercurycontamination, limit to 1 meal/month
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished
Haddock
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished/Recovering
Halibut (Atlantic)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination, PCB residues, limit to 2 meals/month
Omega-3s: Good
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished
Mackerel (king)
Health Concerns: High levels of mercury contamination, Avoid
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Abundant
Marlin
Health Concerns: High levels of mercury contamination, Avoid
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished
Orange Roughy
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination, limit to 1 meal/month
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished/Destructive harvest
Pacific Rockfish (Pacific snapper)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination: limit to 1 meal/month
Omega-3s: Good
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished/Destructive harvest
Shark
Health Concerns: High levels of mercury contamination, Avoid
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished/Destructive harvest
Shrimp (wild, foreign)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Good
Harvest Notes: Destructive harvest
Snapper (red)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination, limit to 1 meal/month
Omega-3s: Good
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished/Destructive harvest
Sole (Atlantic)
Health Concerns: PCB residues, limit to 1 meal/month
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished/Destructive harvest
Swordfish
Health Concerns: High levels of mercury contamination, Avoid
Omega-3s: Very good
Harvest Notes: Regionally overfished/Destructive harvest
Tilefish
Health Concerns: High levels of mercury contamination, Avoid
Omega-3s: Good
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished
Tuna (bluefin)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination, limit to 1 meal/month
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished/Destructive harvest
Sources: Environmental Defense/Oceans Alive, Linus Pauling Institute, Seafood Watch, Monterey Bay Aquarium
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| USER COMMENTS — Add Your Comment |
I like and often buy Canadian Sole...Can you tell me what category this falls into?
Francesca, Newburgh, NY |
Thank you so much for this information. Now I know the difference between farmed and wild salmon, and can enjoy mussels with a clear conscience!
Sally Wall, Newport, VT |
I did not know what "destructive harvest" Farms and "ecologically destructive" mean. Can you explain? Thank you.
Angie S., Pasadena, TX |
Environmentally benign (U.S.), ecologically destructive (foreign what does this mean?
Angie, Pasadena, TX |
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