Good news for sushi lovers: the FDA has updated its recommendations for eating fish during and after pregnancy. Adding a few servings a week of fish low in mercury is now strongly encouraged for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Best Choices
Anchovy, Atlantic croaker, Atlantic mackerel, Black sea bass, Butterfish, Catfish, Clam, Cod, Crab, Crawfish, Flounder, Haddock, Hake, Herring, Lobster (American and spiny), Mullet, Oyster, Pacific chub mackerel
Perch (freshwater and ocean), Pickerel, Plaice, Pollock, Salmon, Sardine, Scallop, Shad, Shrimp, Skate, Smelt, Sole, Squid, Tilapia, Trout (freshwater), Tuna (canned light–includes skipjack), Whitefish, Whiting
Good Choices
Bluefish, Buffalofish, Carp, Chilean sea bass, Grouper, Halibut, Mahi mahi, Monkfish, Rockfish, Sablefish, Sheepshead, Snapper, Spanish mackerel, Striped bass (ocean), Tilefish (Atlantic Ocean), Tuna (albacore), Tuna (yellowfin), Weakfish, White croaker
Choices to Avoid
King mackerel, Marlin, Orange roughy, Shark, Swordfish, Tilefish (Gulf of Mexico), Tuna (bigeye)
Key Takeaways:
- Be careful about mercury content, but embrace the nutritional value and health benefits that fish have to offer.
- Nutritious, low-mercury fish such as salmon, shrimp, and shellfish are excellent dietary choices.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women should always avoid high-mercury fish like swordfish, king mackerel, and bigeye tuna.
- It’s recommended that pregnant or breastfeeding women eat two to three 4-oz servings (8 to 12 oz total) of low-mercury fish per week based on a 2000 calorie diet. However, only 30% of pregnant women get this amount according to a 2012 study.
- Bottom line: Eat that sushi you’ve been craving (just skip the bigeye tuna)!
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