Is it okay to eat fish every day? (2024)

FAQs

Is it okay to eat fish every day? ›

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating fish as part of a healthy eating pattern. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends: At least 8 ounces of seafood (less for children§) per week based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

For adults, a typical serving is 4 ounces of fish, measured before cooking. Our advice is to eat 2 to 3 servings of a variety of cooked fish, or about 8 to 12 ounces, in a week. Please see III. CHILDREN below for information specific to children.

Unlike vegans, pescatarians also typically still eat dairy and eggs. Being a pescatarian doesn't mean you eat fish for every meal. It actually doesn't even mean you eat fish every day! Instead, following a pescatarian diet often means eating mostly plant-based, while also incorporating seafood a few days per week.

Eating fish every day can be a healthy part of a balanced diet. Fish is a good source of lean protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and various vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin D, vitamin B12 and calcium.

Eat up to 12 ounces (two average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury. Shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish are low-mercury fish. Albacore (“white”) tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. So limit your intake of albacore tuna to once a week.

The experts agree: when it comes to eating fish, don't worry about limiting your portions or servings. The health benefits of fish far outweigh any possible risks, especially if you're eating mercury-free fish. So next time you're at the grocery store, load up that cart with your favorite seafood and enjoy!

There is no direct statement on the subject by Jesus in the New Testament. The story of Jesus feeding fish to people would support the view that Jesus may have been a pescatarian. Paul seems to have been more open to meat eating, but even Paul was open to vegetarianism.

In fact, according to one study, pescatarians live longer than people who consume red meat and poultry. Also, land animals raised for food, especially cows, put a strain on our environment by requiring excessive natural resources to raise them and by emitting pollution in the form of methane.

Can you live off fish and vegetables? ›

"Defined as a vegetarian diet with the addition of fish, the pescatarian diet can be a great choice for those searching for a nutritious meal plan. Plant-based foods provide numerous vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, and the seafood supplies omega-3 fatty acids and protein."

But it's not recommended you eat it daily. There's a risk of mercury poisoning, and in general it's not recommended to eat fish every day.

“Think SMASH—sardines, mackerel, anchovies, salmon and herring—when choosing the healthiest fish to eat,” says Amanda Sauceda, a registered dietitian and founder of The Mindful Gut, a nutritional guidance company in Long Beach, California.

However, for healthy adults (who are not pregnant) and older children (6 years and over), fish with high levels of mercury should not be eaten more than once a week.

It's also possible to develop mercury poisoning from eating too much seafood, even if the varieties have lower levels of mercury.

But, experts say, eating seafood more than twice a week, for most people, can be healthful. “For most individuals it's fine to eat fish every day,” said Eric Rimm, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition and director of cardiovascular epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Seafood is served in most homes almost every day. Japanese people like fish a lot, just as their ancestors did centuries ago.

For the most part, feeding your fish once or twice a day is sufficient. Some hobbyists even fast their fish one or two days a week to allow them to clear their digestive systems. Larger, more sedentary fish can go longer between meals than smaller, more active fish.