Fish and Shellfish

A healthy diet should include at least two portions of fish a week, including one of oily fish

That is because fish and shellfish are good sources of many vitamins and minerals. Oily fish – such as salmon and fresh tuna – is particularly rich in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which may help to keep your heart healthy.

Most of us should have more fish in our diet, including more oily fish. However, there are maximum recommended amounts for oily fish, crab and some types of white fish. There is also additional advice for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and children and babies.

For a healthier choice, go for steamed, baked or grilled fish or shellfish, rather than fried. This is because frying makes fish and shellfish much higher in fat, especially if they’re cooked in batter.
To ensure there are enough fish to eat now and in the future, we should try to eat a wide variety of fish and to choose fish from sustainable sources.

Types of fish

Different types of fish and shellfish provide different nutrients.

Oily fish
Examples of oily fish are salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout and herring. These are: rich in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which may help prevent heart disease, & a good source of vitamins A and D.

There are some oily fish with bones that you eat. These include whitebait, canned sardines, pilchards and tinned salmon (but not fresh salmon). These fish can help make our bones stronger because they are good sources of calcium and phosphorus.

White fish
Examples of white fish are cod, haddock, plaice, pollack, coley, dab, flounder, red mullet, gurnard and tilapia. White fish are: very low in fat, making them one of the healthier, low-fat alternatives to red or processed meat, which tends to be higher in fat, especially saturated fat, a source of omega-3 fatty acids, but at much lower levels than oily fish.

Shellfish
Shellfish includes prawns, mussels and langoustine. They are: low in fat, a good source of selenium, zinc, iodine and copper.  Some types, such as mussels, oysters, squid and crab are also good sources of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, but they do not contain as much as oily fish.

Oily fish and omega-3

Oily fish contains a special kind of fat, called long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Long-chain omega-3 may help prevent heart disease. It is also important for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding because it can help a baby's nervous system to develop.

Oily fish are the richest source of long-chain omega-3. Some white fish and shellfish also contain long-chain omega-3, but not as much as oily fish. The main shellfish sources of long-chain omega-3 are mussels, oysters, squid and crab.

Which fish are oily fish?
These fish are all oily fish, and so good sources of long-chain omega-3: anchovies, carp, herring (bloater, kipper and hilsa are types of herring), jack (also known as scad, horse mackerel and trevally), mackerel, pilchards, salmon, sardines, sprats, trout, tuna (fresh), whitebait.

Canned tuna does not count as oily fish. Fresh tuna is an oily fish, but when it is canned the amount of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids is reduced to levels similar to those in other fish.

How much fish?

Most people should be eating more fish, including more oily fish.  A healthy diet should include at least two portions of fish a week, including one of oily fish. But for certain types of fish there are recommendations about the maximum amount you should eat.

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