Healthy Fish

 12 Best Types of Fish to Eat

Alaskan salmon

Cod

Herring

Mahi-mahi

Mackerel

Perch

Rainbow trout

Sardines

Striped bass

Tuna

Alaskan pollock

Char

The healthiest types of fish include those high in omega-3 fatty acids and have lower levels of mercury contamination, like Alaskan salmon.

Overview

Fish is a healthy, high-protein food, especially important for its omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential fats that our bodies don’t produce on their own.

Omega-3 fatty acids play an essential role in brain and heart health. Omega-3s have been shown to decrease inflammation and reduce the risk of heart disease. They’re important for prenatal development in babies, too.

The American Heart Association (AHA)Trusted Source recommends eating fish at least 2 times a week, particularly fatty fish like salmon, lake trout, sardines, and albacore tuna, which are high in omega-3s.

Yet, there are some risks associated with eating fish on a regular basis. Contaminants such as mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) find their way into ground, lake, and ocean water from our household and industrial waste, and then into the fish who live there.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and FDA have issued combined guidelines for women of childbearing age, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children.

They advise these groups avoid fish with higher levels of mercury contamination, which usually include:

shark

swordfish

king mackerel

tilefish

The following 12 superstar fish have made it onto our “best fish” list not only for having great nutrition and safety profiles but because they’re eco-friendly — being responsibly caught or farmed, and not overfished.