What fish is safe to eat during pregnancy?
Most fish is safe and good for your baby's brain. The FDA and EPA advise 8 to 12 ounces a week of lower-mercury fish, such as salmon, sardines, trout, cod, shrimp, pollock and canned light tuna. Avoid seven high-mercury fish: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, bigeye tuna and Gulf of Mexico tilefish. Always cook fish through.
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How much fish to eat
The US FDA and EPA give a clear target for pregnancy and breastfeeding: 8 to 12 ounces (about 225 to 340 g) a week of a variety of lower-mercury fish. That's 2 to 3 servings a week from the Best Choices list, or 1 serving from the Good Choices list. A serving is 4 ounces (about 113 g), roughly the size of your palm.
Many people quietly stop eating fish in pregnancy because they've heard the word “mercury.” For most pregnant women, the research says the bigger risk is eating too little. In a 2014 FDA analysis of over 1,000 pregnant women in the US, 21% had eaten no fish at all in the past month, and among those who did, half ate less than 2 ounces a week.
The rule that protects your baby is about which fish, far more than how much.
Best Choices: 2 to 3 servings a week
| Fish (Best Choice) | DHA in 3 oz (85 g), cooked | Easy way to eat it |
|---|---|---|
| Salmon (farmed or wild) | about 1,220 to 1,240 mg | Sheet-pan fillet, canned salmon cakes |
| Herring | about 940 mg | Canned kippers, baked fillets |
| Sardines (canned) | about 740 mg | On toast with lemon |
| Atlantic mackerel | about 590 mg | Grilled, or canned on crackers |
| Rainbow trout | about 440 mg | Pan-fried in 6 minutes |
| Canned light tuna (incl. skipjack) | about 170 mg | Tuna melt, tuna-bean salad |
| Shrimp | about 120 mg | Stir-fry, tacos |
| Tilapia | about 110 mg | Baked with salsa |
| Cod | about 100 mg | Fish tacos, chowder |
| Anchovies, pollock | not listed | Tomato sauce; fish sticks, imitation crab |
DHA figures from the NIH; lists from the FDA/EPA.
Other Best Choices include haddock, hake, flounder, sole, catfish, clams, crab, scallops, oysters, squid, whitefish, Atlantic croaker, black sea bass and freshwater perch.
Notice the spread: salmon has about ten times the DHA of cod. Make at least one weekly serving salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel or trout. DHA is the omega-3 fat built into brain cells, and your baby collects it fastest in the third trimester.
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Good Choices: 1 serving a week
Albacore (white) tuna, canned or fresh. Yellowfin tuna. Halibut, mahi mahi, snapper, grouper, rockfish, monkfish, sablefish, Chilean sea bass, Spanish mackerel, ocean striped bass, bluefish, carp and Atlantic tilefish.
If you eat one of these, make it your one fish serving for that week.
The two kinds of canned tuna are on different lists. Canned light tuna (including skipjack) is a Best Choice. Canned white (albacore) is a Good Choice, so keep it to one serving a week. More in can I eat canned tuna while pregnant.
The 7 fish to avoid
These carry the highest mercury. Skip them completely while pregnant or breastfeeding:
- Shark
- Swordfish
- King mackerel
- Marlin
- Orange roughy
- Bigeye tuna (ask what kind of tuna a restaurant serves)
- Tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico
Screenshot this list for restaurants. If someone in the family fishes, check the local advisory for that lake or river. If there's no advisory, the FDA says to eat just one serving of that fish that week and no other fish.
Cooking and food safety
Mercury isn't the only thing to think about. Pregnancy makes you more open to food infections, and some can harm a baby even if you don't feel sick.
- Cook fish until it's opaque and flakes with a fork, or to 145°F (63°C).
- Skip raw fish while pregnant: sushi, sashimi, ceviche, raw oysters, clams or scallops. Sushi rolls made only with cooked shrimp or cooked crab are fine. See can you eat sushi while pregnant.
- Refrigerated smoked fish (lox, nova, kippered fish from the deli case) can carry listeria. Eat it only cooked into a hot dish until steaming. Shelf-stable canned or pouched fish is fine.
- Keep fish cold from store to fridge, and don't leave cooked fish sitting out.
Easy ways to hit 8 to 12 ounces
The hard part is usually knowing what to cook on a Wednesday. These take about 15 minutes:
- Sheet-pan salmon. Fillets, a drizzle of oil, iodized salt and lemon, 12 to 15 minutes in a hot oven with broccoli on the same pan.
- Salmon cakes from a can. Canned salmon, an egg, breadcrumbs and a spoon of mustard. Pan-fry.
- Sardine toast. Mash canned sardines with lemon and pepper on whole-grain toast. New to sardines? Try the ones packed in tomato sauce.
- Tuna-white bean salad. Canned light tuna, white beans, red onion, olive oil and lemon. Lunch for two days.
- Fish tacos. Cod or pollock with a little chili powder, cabbage slaw and lime.
- Shrimp fried rice. Leftover rice, frozen shrimp, frozen peas, two eggs and soy sauce.
- Anchovy pasta sauce. Melt two or three anchovies into olive oil and garlic before adding canned tomatoes. Nobody tastes “fish.” They taste “good.”
Why fish is worth the effort
Fish brings DHA plus iodine, iron and choline, all nutrients the FDA lists as supporting a baby's brain. In the UK's ALSPAC study of 11,875 pregnant women, eating fish in pregnancy was linked with better verbal IQ scores in the children. In the Seychelles, where mothers ate about 8 fish meals a week, a 2023 study found no harm across 26 development measures. These are observational studies, so they show links, not proof.
If you don't eat fish, an omega-3 supplement can fill the gap. Ask your doctor or midwife about fish oil or algal DHA, and skip cod liver oil in pregnancy because of its vitamin A. More in DHA during pregnancy.
Do this
- Pick two fish nights this week and make one of them salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel or trout.
- Stock two cans of light tuna, two cans of salmon or sardines, and a bag of frozen shrimp.
- Screenshot the 7-fish avoid list for restaurants.
- Swap white (albacore) canned tuna for light if albacore is your usual.
- Cook fish until it flakes, and skip raw sushi and cold smoked fish.
When to ask your doctor
Check with your doctor or midwife first if…
- You have a fish allergy or a medical reason to limit fish: ask about an omega-3 supplement instead.
- You take blood thinners or other medicines: check with your doctor before adding a fish oil supplement.
- You eat fish caught locally: check the local advisory first.
Call your doctor now if…
- You have a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher in pregnancy: call your doctor now.
- You have severe belly pain that doesn't go away, or vomiting so bad you can't keep fluids down: call your doctor or 911 now.
This page is general information, not medical advice. Every pregnancy and every child is different. Ask your doctor, midwife or pediatrician before changing supplements, diet or care.
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People also ask
Is salmon safe during pregnancy?
Yes. Salmon, farmed or wild, is on the FDA/EPA Best Choices list and is one of the richest sources of DHA, with about 1,220 to 1,240 mg in a cooked 3-ounce serving. Cook it through. Skip refrigerated smoked salmon unless it's cooked into a hot dish.
Can I eat shrimp while pregnant?
Yes, cooked shrimp is a Best Choice. It's low in mercury and easy to fit into stir-fries, tacos or fried rice. Avoid raw shrimp, as in some ceviche or sushi, and cook shellfish until it's opaque.
How much tuna can I eat while pregnant?
Canned light tuna, including skipjack, is a Best Choice, so it can be part of your 2 to 3 weekly servings. Albacore (white) and yellowfin are Good Choices, limited to one serving a week. Avoid bigeye tuna completely.
Is it OK to eat fish every day while pregnant?
The FDA/EPA target is 8 to 12 ounces a week, about 2 to 3 servings. In the Seychelles, mothers ate about 8 ocean-fish meals a week with no harm found, but the US advice is the one to follow. Choosing low-mercury fish matters most.