Fish That Are Safe To Eat While Pregnant | Smart Picks List

Pregnancy can make food choices feel loaded. Fish sits right in that spot: it’s nutrient-dense, it’s easy to overthink, and the internet loves to scare people off it. Let’s make it simple.

Your goal is steady, low-mercury seafood that’s cooked well and spaced through the week. That pattern gives you omega-3s (DHA/EPA), iodine, selenium, vitamin D, B12, and solid protein—without racking up mercury from big predator fish.

This article walks you through what “safe” means, which fish usually land in the low-mercury lane, how to portion it, and how to handle common edge cases like canned tuna, sushi cravings, and locally caught fish.

What “Safe” fish means during pregnancy

“Safe” comes down to two buckets: mercury level and food safety.

Mercury: why size and species matter

Methylmercury builds up in fish over time. Fish that live longer and eat other fish tend to carry more. That’s why shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and certain tilefish are the classic “skip it” list for pregnancy.

You don’t need to memorize a chemistry lesson. A practical rule works: pick smaller fish, mix up species, and keep the “big predator” types off your plate.

Food safety: cook it and store it right

Pregnancy raises the stakes for foodborne illness. With seafood, that means two habits: cook it through and treat leftovers like they’re on a timer.

• Choose cooked fish over raw fish and raw shellfish.
• Reheat leftovers until steaming hot.
• Keep cold seafood cold, hot seafood hot, and don’t let it sit out.

How much seafood to eat each week

A steady target used by major public health guidance is 8 to 12 ounces of low-mercury seafood per week, which often looks like 2 to 3 meals. That’s a helpful range because it builds a habit without turning dinner into math. The U.S. guidance also groups fish into mercury tiers so you can pick with confidence: FDA advice about eating fish.

If you already eat seafood often, keep the variety wide. If you rarely eat fish, start with one meal a week and build from there.

Simple serving sizes that work in real kitchens

You’ll see “ounces” in many charts. In a home meal, a serving is often a palm-sized fillet (or a can’s worth split over two meals). If you’re using shrimp or scallops, a serving is a small mound that fills the center of a plate, not the whole plate.

When you’re not in the mood for weighing food, use this: pick a normal dinner portion and keep it to a few seafood meals per week. Put the rest of your protein rotation on poultry, eggs, beans, yogurt, and meat that fits your preferences.

Taking fish that are safe to eat while pregnant into daily meals

The easiest way to stay in the low-mercury lane is to build your “default list.” These are fish and shellfish that show up again and again in lower-mercury guidance and are easy to find in stores.

Go-to low-mercury picks

• Salmon (wild or farmed): rich in DHA and tends to be a dependable low-mercury choice.
• Sardines: small fish, strong omega-3 content, great on toast or mixed into pasta.
• Trout: mild flavor, easy to roast.
• Herring (cooked): another small oily fish with omega-3s.
• Anchovies: tiny fish, handy for sauces and dressings.
• Cod, pollock, haddock: lean white fish that’s easy to bake or pan-sear.
• Tilapia: mild, widely available.
• Catfish: common in many regions; best baked or pan-seared.
• Shrimp: quick protein, low mercury, easy for weeknights.
• Crab and lobster: fine as cooked treats in normal portions.
• Scallops: quick sear, high protein.

How to pick fish when you’re standing at the freezer

Fresh isn’t the only good option. Frozen fillets can be cleaner, cheaper, and consistent. Look for firm texture, no heavy “fishy” smell, and intact packaging with no ice crust that signals thaw-refreeze.

For canned seafood, focus on species and type. “Canned light tuna” often means skipjack, which is lower in mercury than albacore. Canned salmon and sardines are also easy wins for quick meals.

Where shellfish fits

Cooked shellfish like shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, and scallops can fit well. Skip raw oysters and raw shellfish during pregnancy. With cooked shellfish, buy from reputable sellers and keep it chilled until cooking time.

Food safety details that change the answer

Most fish debates online get stuck on mercury. Food safety can matter just as much, especially with smoked seafood, deli-style seafood, and sushi.

Smoked fish and cured fish

Cold-smoked or cured fish sold ready-to-eat (like refrigerated smoked salmon) can carry listeria risk. Guidance commonly says to avoid it unless it’s cooked until steaming hot, which lowers that risk. See the NHS foods to avoid in pregnancy page for the smoked fish note.

If you love that flavor, turn it into a hot dish: fold smoked fish into pasta, omelets, rice bowls, or a baked dip and heat it through.

Sushi, sashimi, and raw fish cravings

Raw seafood is best skipped during pregnancy. If you want sushi, choose cooked rolls (shrimp tempura, cooked crab) or veggie rolls. Ask the restaurant to keep raw fish off the board and tools that touch your order.

Leftovers and seafood salads

Seafood salad from a deli case can sit at borderline temps longer than you’d guess. If you want it, buy it fresh, keep it cold, and eat it soon. For home leftovers, refrigerate fast and reheat until hot.

Table: Low-mercury fish and how to use them

Use this table as your “default list” when planning meals. It keeps choices broad and keeps prep ideas practical.

Low-mercury seafood	Why it’s a solid pick	Easy ways to cook and eat
Salmon	High omega-3s and protein, widely available	Sheet-pan roast with lemon; flake into rice bowls
Sardines	Small fish with omega-3s; low mercury	Mash on toast; stir into pasta with garlic and olive oil
Trout	Mild oily fish; cooks fast	Pan-sear; bake with herbs
Herring (cooked)	Small fish, omega-3 source	Bake fillets; serve with potatoes and a yogurt sauce
Cod	Lean white fish; mild taste	Bake with breadcrumbs; add to tacos with cabbage
Pollock	Lean, budget-friendly	Oven-bake; use in fish sandwiches
Tilapia	Easy starter fish for new seafood eaters	Pan-sear; bake with salsa and corn
Catfish	Common in many regions; holds up well in cooking	Season and bake; pan-sear with a light crust
Shrimp	Low mercury, fast cook time	Sauté for stir-fries; add to pasta or grain bowls
Scallops	Quick, high-protein option	Quick sear; serve with peas or risotto

What to do with tuna during pregnancy

Tuna is the classic “wait, is this ok?” fish. The answer depends on type.

Canned light tuna is usually the safer pick because it often comes from smaller tuna species (like skipjack). Albacore (“white”) tuna tends to run higher in mercury, so it’s the one to keep tighter.

If tuna is your go-to lunch, rotate in canned salmon, sardines, or a cod fillet at dinner so your week doesn’t lean too hard on one species.

Practical tuna habits that keep mercury low

• Pick canned light tuna more often than albacore.
• Keep tuna meals in the “sometimes” slot, not the daily slot.
• Pair tuna with low-mercury seafood later in the week, not another high-mercury fish.

Local catch and fish advisories

Fish caught by family or friends can be fresh and budget-friendly. It also comes with one extra step: check local advisories for mercury and other contaminants in that water. The EPA explains how advisories work and how to use them: EPA guidelines for eating fish that contain mercury.

If an advisory lists limits by species and size, follow the stricter number. If there’s no advisory data, stick to store-bought low-mercury fish for pregnancy meals and save the local catch for later.

Table: Fish to limit or skip, and what to choose instead

This table keeps it simple: which fish tend to land in the high-mercury lane, and a low-mercury swap you can use without losing the “fish dinner” vibe.

Limit or skip	Why it’s tricky in pregnancy	Swap with
Shark	High mercury	Salmon or trout
Swordfish	High mercury	Cod or haddock
King mackerel	High mercury	Atlantic mackerel (lower mercury) or sardines
Marlin	Often high mercury	Salmon or pollock
Bigeye tuna	Higher mercury than many other tuna types	Canned light tuna, salmon, or shrimp
Tilefish (Gulf of Mexico)	High mercury in some sources	Tilapia or cod
Raw fish and raw shellfish	Foodborne illness risk	Cooked rolls, cooked shrimp, baked fish

Buying and cooking tips that keep meals safe

Safe fish isn’t just the species. Handling matters.

At the store

• Buy seafood last so it stays cold.
• Choose fish with a mild sea smell, not a sharp odor.
• For frozen fish, avoid packages with lots of ice crystals.
• Keep it chilled on the way home, especially on warm days.

In the kitchen

Cook fish until it flakes easily and looks opaque. For shrimp, cook until firm and pink. For scallops, cook until the center is no longer translucent.

If you like meal prep, cook fish the day you’ll eat it. Seafood can be less forgiving than chicken in the fridge, so treat it as a same-day or next-day protein.

Easy weekly patterns that hit the 2–3 meals mark

It helps to build a repeatable rhythm. Here are three that many people stick with.

Pattern 1: Two dinners and one lunch

• Dinner: sheet-pan salmon with potatoes and green beans
• Lunch: tuna salad made with canned light tuna, served cold and eaten soon after prep
• Dinner: shrimp stir-fry with rice and frozen vegetables

Pattern 2: One oily fish, one white fish, one shellfish

• Oily fish: salmon or trout
• White fish: cod, pollock, haddock, or tilapia
• Shellfish: shrimp or scallops

Pattern 3: Canned fish plus one cooked dinner

• Lunch: sardines on toast with sliced tomato
• Lunch: canned salmon mixed into a warm rice bowl
• Dinner: baked cod with a crunchy topping

One last sanity check before you plan your menu

If you want a quick filter before adding fish to your cart, run these questions:

• Is it a smaller fish or a common low-mercury choice?
• Will I eat it cooked, not raw?
• Will this week stay near 2–3 seafood meals total?
• If it’s locally caught, did I check the advisory?

If you can answer “yes” to those, you’re in a strong spot. For a deeper species list and the mercury categories used in U.S. guidance, the EPA–FDA advice about eating fish and shellfish page lays out the framework in plain language. A clinical overview that also covers raw seafood and high-mercury fish is available from Mayo Clinic’s pregnancy and fish guide.