Fish is a great source for lean protein. Fish is part of a healthy eating plan. Fish provides much lacking omega-3 fatty acids [1] to our diets. OK, I get it. Message received. Eat fish.
The American Heart Association [2] recommends eating fish at least twice weekly to help reach the recommendation of consuming 1.1 grams [3] of omega-3 fats a day. Although fish is a great source of these healthy fats, you have to be careful about ingesting too much mercury, especially if you're pregnant [4]. Expecting moms should stick to types of fish that have mercury levels of 1 part per million (ppm) or lower. The rest of us can safely consume fish with mercury levels that average 5.5 ppm. So take a look at the chart below to see where the fish you eat falls on the spectrum.
| Mercury in parts per million (ppm) | Omega-3s in grams per 3 oz. serving | |
| Canned Tuna | .12 | .17 - .24 |
| Shrimp | below the level of detection | .29 |
| Polluck | .06 | .45 |
| Salmon | .01 | 1.1 - 1.9 |
| Cod | .11 | .15 - .24 |
| Catfish | .05 | .22 - .3 |
| Clams | below the level of detection | .25 |
| Flounder or Sole | .05 | .48 |
| Crabs | .06 | .27 - .4 |
| Scallops | .05 | .18 - .34 |
If you don't see your favorite seafood on the list then .
| Mercury in parts per million (ppm) | Omega-3s in grams per 3 oz. serving | |
| Lobster | .31 | .07 - .46 |
| Grouper | .55 | .23 |
| Halibut | .26 | .6 - 1.12 |
| Oysters | below the level of detection | .37 - 1.14 |
| Mahi mahi | .19 | .13 |
| Herring | .04 | 1.9 - 2 |
| Shark | .99 | .83 |
| Swordfish | .97 | .97 |
| Golden bass or golden snapper | 1.45 | .9 |
| King mackerel | .73 | .36 |
| Fresh or frozen tuna | .38 | .21 - 1.1 |
| Red snapper | .6 | .29 |
| Orange roughy | .54 | .03 |
Fit's Tip: Since it may be tough to consume 1.1 grams of omega-3 fatty acids a day [5] solely from fish, remember that flaxseeds, flaxseed oil [6], omega-3 enriched foods [7], and fish oil supplements [8] are also great sources for this healthy fat.
Source [9]