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My son loves fish; and that is a real blessing because I know those Omega 3s are good for him.  Even though my daughter requires an exorbitant amount of condiments (mayonnaise and mustard for tuna salad, or ketchup for tuna patties), she can choke it down.

My brother is a fishing guide in Alaska; so my supply of wild caught {and believe me, my brother is WILD} salmon and halibut is pretty good; but what about the other ones? Is there a nutritional difference? Which fish offers the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to the coveted Omega 3s?

And while we’re at it; what about this mercury level business? God knows the last thing anyone needs are more heavy metals up in here.

Last but not least (well, actually, unfortunately; it does kind of end up being least) comes the sustainability factor. Just like big CAFOs {concentrated animal feeding operations} negatively affect the environment; the capture and farming practices of fish also leave an impact.

So let’s break this thing down. Which fish is best?

Never Eat:

Tilefish. Poor Tilefish.  First it gets named with a goofy name; then it ends up with the most mercury, despite being rated as a ‘good alternative‘ by Seafood Watch.

King Mackerel.  The mighty mackerel is has tons of Omega 3 fatty acids and is a ‘best choice‘ according to Seafood Watch.  But with more mercury than a flu shot; I think not.

Shark. This is a bummer; shark is pretty tasty.  Apparently I am not alone; shark is often over-fished and generally receives an “avoid” rating by Seafood Watch.

Swordfish.  While the environmental impact of this fish is not a burden; the mercury level certainly is.  Skip the swordfish.

Occasionally Eat

Halibut.  My brother’s beloved ugly halibut is delicious, but has moderate levels of mercury and only moderate levels of Omega 3 fatty acids.  While his Alaskan ones are doing fine; most are not and are not good sustainable choices.

Tuna.  High levels of Omega 3 fatty acids are negatively balanced with a moderate amount of mercury.

Tilapia.  Environmentally sustainable and low mercury are plusses; but low Omega 3 fatty acids keep tilapia from being as beneficial as it is plentiful.

 Eat With Reckless Abandon

Salmon.  Lower mercury levels, high Omega 3 fatty acids, and {in some cases} environmentally sustainable; salmon is a good bet all around.

Herring. Plenty of Omega 3 fatty acids, a ‘good alternative’ ranking by Seafood Watch and low mercury levels make herring a winner.

Lake trout. Another all around good bet; low mercury levels, high in Omega 3 fatty acids, and depending on which Great Lake which your fish is harvested from, a good bet according to Seafood Watch.

Sardines.  Yuck; but if you can choke them down; go for it.  High Omega 3 fatty acids and low mercury levels along with a good rating for the Pacific variety make this a good choice.

There is one other issue:  wild caught vs. farmed? While the nutrition in a farmed fish might be less than wild caught; in most cases (and for the same reasons) so are the mercury levels.  And because somehow, both of my siblings have made their way into this blog post I am compelled to mention that while we picture wild caught as a dude standing around with a fishing pole; really it is giant nets scooping up everything from plankton to turtles.  My sister loves turtles. I don’t want a turtle to die so I can have a few more Omega 3 fatty acids.

And now I’m off; to try and find a source for herring as well as some palatable sardine recipes.  Suggestions are welcome