Seafood Best Bests

These are purest, “cleanest” types of popular seafood, and staples on The Pescetarian Plan.   Take this list with you to the market or restaurants (or look it up on your smart phone) .

Seafood in blue are rich in health-promoting omega-3 fats.

Seafood Most sustainable type
ARCTIC CHAR Farmed in the U.S., Canada, Norway, Iceland
CATFISH (U.S. farm-raised) Note: Avoid wild-caught, it may be high in contaminants Farmed in the U.S.
CLAMS Farmed world-wide
COD, ATLANTIC Hook-and-line caught from Iceland, Norway and Russian
COD, PACIFIC Caught by bottom long-line, jig or trap from the U.S
FLATFISH/FLOUNDER Wild-caught in the U.S. Pacific
HADDOCK Hook-and-line caught in the U.S. Atlantic
MACKEREL, ATLANTIC Note: Not King Mackerel, which is high in contaminants. Wild-caught in Alaska
MUSSELS Farmed world-wide
OYSTER        Farmed world-wide
SALMON *, WILD-CAUGHT (canned, fresh or frozen) Alaskan Chinook, Coho, Chum, Keta, King, Pink, Red, Silver, Sockeye and Sake salmon caught by drift gillnet, purse seine, or troll
SARDINES, PACIFIC Wild-caught in the U.S.
SCALLOPS, BAY Farmed world-wide
SCALLOPS, SEA Diver-caught in the Mexican States of Baja California Sur in Laguna Ojo de Liebre and Guerrero Negro; dredge-caught in Alaska
SHRIMP/PRAWNSNOTE: Because shrimp are high in cholesterol, limit to twice a week. Freshwater prawn farmed in the U.S.; pink shrimp wild-caught in Oregon; shrimp farmed in recirculating systems or inland ponds in the U.S.; spot prawns wild-caught in the Canadian Pacific
SQUID (CALAMARI)NOTE: Because squid is very high in cholesterol, limit to once a week. Trawl-caught in the U.S. Atlantic
TILAPIA Farmed in the U.S.
TROUT, RAINBOW Farm-raised in the U.S.

* Although salmon is low in mercury, according to some studies, farm-raised salmon can contain high levels of another contaminant—persistent organic pollutants (explained on page 117 of The Pescetarian Plan). That’s why farm-raised salmon didn’t make this list.  But it’s OK to eat it if you limit consumption to no more than six ounces, six times per month.