Have you had fish twice this week? The American Heart Association (AHA) thinks you should!
For most healthy adults and children, the recommendation is to include fish and shellfish in meals twice a week to benefit from their omega-3s, vitamins, minerals, and more.
You can also look to walnuts or walnut oil, flaxseed or flaxseed oil, canola oil, or soybean oil to boost omega-3 intake.
You're thinking about dinner: Try baking or grilling fish with spices, herbs or lemon juice. See our "How to Cook It" section to learn delicious ways to prepare fish and seafood for your family.
You want to minimize mercury intake: Removing the skin and surface fat from fish before cooking definitely helps. However, this is not as much of an issue with lower-mercury fish.
Wild-caught vs. farmed fish— which is better for you?: Whether wild or farmed, regularly eating a variety of fish — from a variety of sources — will help you meet your omega-3 needs.
You're over 45: For middle-aged and older men and post-menopausal women, the health benefits of eating fish far outweigh concerns about mercury.
You're pregnant, nursing or a young child: The benefits of eating fish twice a week outweigh the risks for you, too. However, you should avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish because of potentially high mercury levels. Instead, say yes to some of the lower-mercury options provided below.
Specific Fish and Their Omega-3 Levels With so many fish in the sea, how will you choose? The chart below compares milligrams of omega-3 (per 4-ounce serving) in various fish and seafood.
