Healthy seafood is becoming an increasingly complicated food item to buy. We may have lakes or rivers near our homes that experts tell us not to fish in because of the toxins in the fish. There are polluted areas around the globe with seafood and fresh water fish we are probably best to avoid. Many of us are also looking for seafood with healthy fats. As a general rule, seafood that is “wild” (as opposed to “farmed”) will have a healthier fat profile. In the graph at right, notice that the wild seafood has a higher ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids, a ratio that supports brain and heart health. In many cases, wild fish will also have fewer pollutants.
But wild is not necessarily better from a sustainability point of view, an important factor if we want to continue to eat this great food. To help you navigate the complexities of seafood shopping, visit Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch and explore their seafood buying guide.
If you are shopping for fresh seafood online, the quality of the products from our affiliate partner (here) is exquisite.
My problem with farmed fish is you never know what they are fed. I have heard some scary things used for the feed. Unlike our local cow, pig, and chicken farmers, it is difficult to find the source of the person who makes the farmed fish. I stick to the Monterey Bay Aquarium List for sustainable options. My brother is a wholesaler of fish. He gets it fresh from the pier in Boston. He has some stories. . .Great post!
I love eating fish. I have a few friends that are fishermen, they know everything about fish. Fish is one of the most complete food, speaking about vitamins and consistency, it’s one of the best!
It’s easy to notice what the fish have in them just by taking a quick look at how the rivers look like. Now close to every river has some factory placed on it, washing down its waste. And the fish “filter” it.
Good thing we have private fish farms.
Fresh seafood is hard to find in stores in my are. But i’m lucky to a certain degree, because i can get a lot of frozen seafood, that one seems to be everywhere.
Granted, it’s not the same. But it’s a lot better than nothing.
I don’t think experts say it’s not OK to eat fish because of the toxins, all I know is they say not to eat TOO MUCH fish because there’s a risk of food poisoning due to mercury. It happened to Jeremy Piven too, he ate fish twice a day (a strange habit, isn’t it?)
Anyone who is eating the same food twice a day should definitely do research on where it’s coming from. There’s a lot of research on which fish from which waters are high in mercury, so that should help.
I couldn’t agree more that it is getting risk to eat fish because of the toxins that’s in the fish. I love to eat fish and maybe it is only depends upon to the place where you are.
Hi Amanda,
I usually prefer to eat fish at locations near to sea shores as there you can get fresh and wild fish. And I never eat fish at locations that are far from beach areas and where only farmed fish are served. So for me location matters a lot.
Very interesting article! We must be very careful, especially with the fish, and always prefere good quality fish so we don’t have the illusion that we eat properly.
Thank you for sharing.
I think it doesn’t really matter if the fish is fresh or frozen. IMO, the nutrients are still there but the taste would be quite different.