Best and Worst Fish Choices

A Printable Guide for a Healthy Body & Planet

-- By Liza Barnes, Health Educator

Word is spreading that fish is good for your health. But like many matters of health and nutrition, there’s nothing simple about simply eating fish. Even though many varieties can be good for your health, contaminants such as mercury, found in many types of fish, are detrimental to your health.

But it gets even more complicated. Beyond choosing fish based on healthfulness (considering things like abundance of healthy Omega-3 fatty acids and low concentrations of mercury and contaminants), consuming fish also has an environmental impact. Many environmental advocates have reported that the mismanagement of many large-scale fishing operations has resulted in overfishing (and the plummeting of some wild fish populations). Fish farming, one alternative to wild fish, may help protect these populations, but other groups claim that fish farming has led to other problems, like the overuse of antibiotics to control disease.

Trying to keep track of which types of fish are healthy and safe—not only for you, but also for the environment—can be  daunting to say the least. This printable seafood guide will come in handy, advising you on the best and worst seafood choices, so you’ll always be able to make smart choices about fish.

Best fish choices are not only raised or caught in environmentally-sound ways, but that are also high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in environmental contaminants (like mercury and PCBs).

Worst fish choices should be avoided, even though some may be high in omega-3's, because of their negative impact on the environment or high contamination levels.

Note: Information comes from Environmental Defense, a group which works to preserve the health of our oceans, the fish, and us. For more information, visit www.OceansAlive.org. Fish below are listed in no particular order.

Best Fish Anchovies (all varieties) Atlantic Herring (U.S. and Canada) Oysters (farmed) Alaskan Sablefish Black Cod Alaskan Salmon (wild) Sardines

Worst Fish Chilean Sea Bass Toothfish Grouper Marlin Orange Roughy Rockfish (Pacific) Rock Cod (Pacific) Atlantic Salmon Shark Sturgeon (wild) Swordfish (imported) Tilefish Bluefin Tuna

This article has been reviewed and approved by Tanya Jolliffe, a SparkPeople healthy eating expert.

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