Essential EatingWell Seafood Guide

Feature on landing page

Good fish choices for your family and the planet.

Standard Image:

Shrimp [1]

Best Choices

Arctic Char (farmed)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Environmentally benign

Barramundi (US farmed)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Environmentally benign

Catfish (US farmed)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Environmentally benign

Clams (farmed)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Environmentally benign

Cobia (US farmed)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Environmentally benign

Cod (Pacific- Alaska longline)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Environmentally benign

Crab (Dungeness, Stone)
Healthy Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Sustainable

Halibut (Pacific)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Good
Harvest Notes: Abundant

Lobster (Spiny- US)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Environmentally benign

Mussels (farmed)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Good
Harvest Notes: Environmentally benign

Oysters (farmed)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Very good
Harvest Notes: Sustainable

Sablefish/Blackcod (Alaska or BC)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Sustainable

Salmon (Alaska wild)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Sustainable

Scallops (farmed off-bottom)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Environmentally benign

Shrimp (Pink- OR)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Good
Harvest Notes: Sustainable

Striped bass (farmed or wild)
Health Concerns: Wild- PCB contamination
Omega-3s: Very good
Harvest Notes: Sustainable

Tilapia (U.S. Farmed)
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 (albacore including canned white tuna- troll/pole, US and BC)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Mostly abundant

Tuna (Skipjack including canned light tuna- troll/pole)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Mostly abundant

Good Alternative

Caviar, Sturgeon (U.S. farmed)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Environmentally benign

Clams (wild)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Destructive harvest

Cod (Pacific- US trawled)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Abundant/Destructive harvest

Crab (Blue, king-US, Snow)
Health Concerns: Blue Crab- PCB contamination
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Overfished

Flounders, Soles (Pacific)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Overfished

Herring (Atlantic)
Healthy Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Possibly overfished

Lobster (Maine/American)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Regionally overfished

Mahi Mahi/Dolphinfish (US)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Possible destructive harvest /Overfished

Oysters (wild)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Very good
Harvest Notes: Overfished

Pollock (Alaska wild)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Good
Harvest Notes: Possible destructive harvest

Sablefish/Black Cod (CA, OR and WA)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Overfished/possibly destructive harvest

Salmon (WA wild)
Health Concerns: Advisory due to high levels of PCBs
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Destructive harvest/Historic overfishing

Scallops (Sea)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Abundant/Destructive harvest

Shrimp (US, Canada)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Good
Harvest Notes: Destructive harvest

Squid
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Good
Harvest Notes: Abundance varies

Swai, Basa (farmed)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Rich
Harvest Notes: Destructive harvest concerns

Swordfish (US)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination
Omega-3s: Very Good
Harvest Notes: Regional destructive harvest

Tilapia (Central America, farmed)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Omega-3s: Modest
Harvest Notes: Destructive harvest

Tuna (Bigeye, Yellowfin- troll/pole)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination
Omega-3s: Very good
Harvest Notes: Overfished/Regional destructive harvest

Tuna (Canned white/Albacore- troll/pole except US and BC)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination
Omega-3s: Very good
Harvest Notes: Abundant

Avoid

Caviar, Sturgeon (imported wild)
Health Concerns: PCB and mercury contamination
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished

Chilean Sea Bass/Toothfish
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished/Destructive harvest

Cobia (imported farmed)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Harvest Notes: Destructive harvest

Cod (Atlantic, imported Pacific)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished/Destructive harvest

Flounders, Halibut, Soles (Atlantic)
Health Concerns: Summer and Winter Atlantic- PCB contamination
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished

Groupers
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished

Lobster (spiny- Brazil)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Harvest Notes: Overfished

Mahi Mahi/Dolphinfish (imported)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Harvest Notes: Possible overfishing

Marlin (Blue- imported, Striped)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination
Harvest Notes: Possible overfishing

Monkfish
Health Concerns: No advisory
Harvest Notes: Destructive harvest

Orange Roughy
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished/Destructive harvest

Salmon (CA, OR wild)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Harvest Notes: Overfished/Destructive harvest

Salmon (farmed, including Atlantic)
Health Concerns: PCB contamination
Harvest Notes: Destructive harvest

Sharks, Skates
Health Concerns: Mercury and PCB contamination
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished

Shrimp (imported)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Harvest Notes: Destructive harvest

Snapper (red)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Harvest Notes: Severely overfished

Swordfish (imported)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination
Harvest Notes: Regionally overfished/Destructive harvest

Tilapia (Asia farmed)
Health Concerns: No advisory
Harvest Notes: Destructive harvest

Tuna (Albacore, Bigeye, Yellowfin- longline)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination
Harvest Notes: Destructive harvest

Tuna (Bluefin and Tongol)
Health concerns: Bluefin- Mercury and PCB contamination
Harvest Notes: Overfishing/Destructive harvest

Tuna (Canned- except troll/pole)
Health Concerns: Mercury contamination
Harvest Notes: Destructive harvest