Farmed Catfish
At the bottom of our nutritional ranking sits farmed catfish, which unfortunately delivers the least bang for your buck when it comes to health benefits. Farmed catfish may be raised in clean, freshwater but they contain significantly fewer valuable omega-3s compared to their wild counterparts. Even though catfish are naturally omnivores, farmed fish are fed unnatural diets of soybeans, corn, and rice.
Catfish, known for its slightly sweet, mild taste, provides about 18 grams of protein per serving. It’s an affordable protein choice often farmed in the U.S. and is low in calories while offering essential nutrients like vitamin D and potassium. While it’s not entirely without nutritional merit, the farming practices and diet significantly diminish its potential as a superfood. Catfish is considered a food that has a moderate amount of mercury.
Tilapia
Tilapia often gets called “aquatic chicken” due to its bland taste and widespread availability, but its nutritional profile places it near the bottom of our list. Sure, tilapia is a lean source of protein, but it lacks the omega-3 content of fatty fish like salmon, tuna, herring and sardines. This is a crucial shortcoming since omega-3s are exactly what you want when choosing fish for health benefits.
What tilapia lacks in flavor, it makes up for in an amazing protein-to-calorie ratio. In one fillet, you’ll find 23 grams of protein for only 111 calories. Tilapia is higher in protein, calcium, vitamin D. Tilapia is lower in mercury, it contains more selenium than catfish. However, the minimal omega-3 content makes it a less ideal choice compared to oilier fish varieties.
Cod
Cod represents a step up from our previous entries, though it still falls short of being a nutritional powerhouse. Cod is a low-fat fish that provides about 20 grams of protein per serving. Many fisheries use sustainable fishing methods for cod, which makes it a better choice for the environment when bought responsibly.
This white fish does offer some valuable nutrients that boost its ranking. Cod is notably higher in selenium, vitamin B6, vitamin D, and vitamin B1, offering substantial benefits for overall health. Haddock, pollock, catfish, flounder and halibut are leaner fish containing less omega-3 fats. Omega-3s are called essential fatty acids because they’re necessary for health, but your body can’t make the good fat on its own – you must ingest it. While cod provides decent protein and some vitamins, it’s the lack of substantial omega-3s that keeps it from climbing higher.
Flounder
Flounder is a healthy saltwater fish. It’s a mild, white fish with a similar texture to tilapia and high in vitamin B12. Unlike tilapia, flounder has omega-3 fats. This distinction is important because it means flounder provides some of those crucial healthy fats that many white fish lack entirely.
Flounder is a leaner fish, which means it’ll have fewer calories but also less omega-3s than salmon. While it won’t compete with the fatty fish higher on our list, flounder offers a nice middle ground – more omega-3s than tilapia but still lean enough to be a low-calorie protein option. According to the NOAA, “summer flounder” from the United States is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.
Red Snapper
The Red Snapper is one of the Gulf of Mexico’s signature fish. For many commercial fishermen, it’s primarily where their profits come from. In fact, back in 2011, Gulf fishermen harvested 3.6 million pounds of red snapper that were valued at $11.4 million. This popularity stems from both its taste and decent nutritional profile.
Snapper, especially red snapper, offers around 22 grams of protein per serving. However, snapper faces some sustainability concerns. Snapper aren’t particularly high in omega-3 fatty acids, and they’re on the verge of extinction due to overfishing. Put simply, contributing to the decline of these fish simply isn’t worth their lackluster nutritional content. While nutritionally decent, environmental concerns place it lower on the list.
Halibut
Halibut presents an interesting case – it’s nutritionally solid but comes with some concerns about contaminants. This mild-flavored white fish offers approximately 22 grams of protein per serving and has a delicate texture. Due to this texture, halibut is best cooked using methods that highlight its tenderness, such as baking or poaching. It is also an excellent canvas for vibrant ingredients like citrus, herbs, and marinades. Some of the benefits that halibut offers include better heart health and brain function.
The concern with halibut lies in its size and lifespan. Halibut can be compared to “eating a grandmother fish, because they can live a long time and oftentimes contain high levels of mercury and plastic residue.” The oldest recorded halibut was 42 years old, and halibut can weigh up to 500-ish pounds. Halibut contains a hefty portion of omega-3 fatty acids in addition to an array of vitamins and minerals, but the dangers of eating such a large, potentially contaminated and overfished fish outweighs any possible health benefits.
Canned Light Tuna
Canned tuna deserves recognition as a convenient and nutritious option, though there are important distinctions to understand. Canned tuna is a pantry staple because it’s a quick, cheap source of protein and rich in vitamins and minerals. It’s also a prime source of one of the two active omega-3 fatty acids: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
The type of canned tuna matters significantly for both nutrition and safety. Canned chunk light tuna has a lower level of omega-3 (0.23 grams per 3 ounces). Canned skipjack tuna is listed as a “best choice” for mercury content by the FDA. Just make sure it’s light; canned albacore tuna can have almost triple the levels of mercury. The convenience factor and decent omega-3 content make light tuna a solid middle-tier choice.
Wild Salmon
Wild salmon represents a significant jump in nutritional quality and earns its reputation as a superfood. Salmon is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. It contains high quality protein and various nutrients, including large amounts of vitamin D, selenium, and B vitamins. Omega-3 content: 2,150 mg of EPA and DHA (combined) in 3.5 oz (100 g).
Known for its heart-healthy fats and vibrant color, salmon is an excellent protein source providing around 22 to 25 grams of protein per serving. It is also rich in omega-3s, vitamin D, and B vitamins – nutrients that contribute to many health benefits. Salmon is versatile in cooking and can be prepared in various ways, such as pan-searing, baking, grilling, and poaching! However, our farming practices have largely ruined this previously healthy fish. “When farmed, salmon isn’t safe to eat more than once a month and often harbors sea lice, which can infect wild populations,” while wild-caught salmon is a healthier alternative, “they’re in major decline in the Pacific Northwest.”
Herring
Herring deserves serious recognition as one of the most nutritionally dense fish available. Fatty fish like herring provide around 1.5 grams of omega-3s per 3 ounce serving. Herring also boasts more omega-3 fatty acids than either salmon or tuna, which are essential to human health since our bodies can’t make these fats. This is remarkable considering herring is often overlooked in favor of more popular fish.
Herring is a medium-sized oily fish. It is often cold-smoked, pickled, or precooked and sold as a canned snack. Smoked herring is a popular breakfast food in countries such as England, where it’s called kippers and served with eggs. A 3.5-oz (100-g) serving of herring contains almost 100% of the DV for selenium and 779% of the DV for vitamin B12. Herring contains less mercury than other omega-3-rich fish you may be eating, like tuna, king mackerel, swordfish and halibut.
Atlantic Mackerel
Atlantic mackerel stands out as an exceptional nutritional choice that delivers impressive omega-3 levels in a small package. Mackerel are small fatty fish. In many countries, they are commonly smoked and eaten as whole fillets. 500% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin B12 and 133% for selenium. What’s more, these fish are delicious and require little preparation. Omega-3 content: 4,580 mg of EPA and DHA (combined) in 3.5 oz (100 g).
However, not all mackerel are created equal when it comes to safety. Atlantic and Atka mackerel from Alaska are high in inflammation-fighting omega-3s and low in mercury, but not all mackerel get a thumbs-up. King mackerel, from the Western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, has a high mercury content. Zumpano suggests limiting Spanish mackerel as well due to mercury concerns. When choosing mackerel, source matters tremendously for both nutrition and safety.
Anchovies
Despite their strong flavor and small size, anchovies pack an incredible nutritional punch that puts many larger fish to shame. Fatty fish, such as anchovies, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines, bluefin tuna, oysters and mussels, are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty fish, such as anchovies, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines, bluefin tuna, oysters and mussels, are high in omega-3 fatty acids.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that to consume those higher amounts, children should only be fed fish from the “Best Choices” list that are even lower in mercury – these fish are anchovies, Atlantic mackerel, catfish, clams, crab, crawfish, flounder, haddock, mullet, oysters, plaice, pollock, salmon, sardines, scallops, shad, shrimp, sole, squid, tilapia, trout, and whiting. Their small size means they’re low on the food chain and accumulate fewer toxins while still providing substantial omega-3 fatty acids. The intensity of their flavor might require an acquired taste, but their nutritional density is undeniable.
Sardines
Sardines claim the top spot in our nutritional ranking, and for excellent reasons that extend far beyond their omega-3 content. Sardines provide 2 grams of heart-healthy omega-3s per 3 ounce serving, which is one of the highest levels of omega-3 and the lowest levels of mercury of any fish. Sardines provide 2 grams of heart-healthy omega-3s per 3 ounce serving, which is one of the highest levels of omega-3 and the lowest levels of mercury of any fish.
You can’t go wrong with sardines. Despite their diminutive size, they pack a nutritional punch (which is why they’re one of the superfoods you need). A mere 3 ounces provides 12 percent your recommended daily intake of vitamin D and 64 percent of selenium, a mineral that plays a key role in metabolism, immunity, and reproductive health. Canned versions are known to be high in sodium, so be sure to consume them in moderation or look for low-sodium canned versions. These are all relatively small deep-water fish with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids – because these small fish sit near the bottom of the food chain, they also rarely accumulate microplastics that are especially common in larger predatory fish.
When it comes to choosing fish for optimal health benefits, sardines reign supreme with their unbeatable combination of sky-high omega-3s, minimal mercury contamination, and impressive vitamin and mineral content. Who would have thought such a small fish could pack such a nutritional wallop?
