Fish portend luck, but why not better your odds?
Avoiding pollutants when sourcing and preparing fish, fish hesitancy, fish feeds, and, yes, a little about luck
Fish are lucky for New Year’s. A good fish meal can be had as a propitious start to a new year, one full with possibility (and also uncertainty.) Who knows what the future has in store? What turn will life take in 2025? A little magical thinking helps take the edge off not knowing. Why not tip the odds in our favor? That uncertainty may be the crux of why Americans and Brits under-consume fish.
I hear more anxieties expressed over eating and preparing fish than any other food stock. “I only eat fish when out at restaurants,” one friend told me. Uneasy having grown up in a household where no fish crossed the threshold, she was taking no chances—let the experts prepare it. It’s a hard sell to those whose Catholic mothers served bland sole each Friday. Another friend’s spouse forbids fish claiming it triggers his early “fishy fish” trauma.
Others have justifiable concerns over mercury and pollutants in the fish supply as well as mounting vigilance to microplastics with effects yet to be fully understood. Facing decisions at the fishmonger’s counter can hurt one’s head. Which is a safer bet? Farmed or wild-caught? The labor of feeding has an emotional toll, the cognitive labor borne solely by the household meal-planner. It’s only natural when rushing through the market and sorting dinner to want to reduce one’s load.
Distrust in lack of transparency and concerns raised over farming practices makes purchasing fish a challenge for many consumers. The sum of public educational efforts and complexity of perishable fish sourcing has caused many to simply become fish hesitant. Not surprisingly, only 10% to 20% of US women eat as much as the recommended two servings of fish or shellfish per week. Pregnant women and an aging population vulnerable to dementia and heart disease, where the data supports fatty fish is highly protective, stand the most to lose for their avoidance.
That brings me back to why eating fish is auspicious at New Year’s. In Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, where pickled herring is eaten to usher in the new year, a good catch meant the haul would bring a sturdy profit at the market. In Asian traditions, silvery fish scales telegraph silver coins and wealth. The Chinese phonetic sound for the character “Yu” (餘) – “to have enough food to have left-overs” and “fish” is identical. When fish is eaten on New Year’s eve, the head and tail are saved to be stewed the first days of the next year. A humble man asks only for a little more than he needs for security and starts anew knowing he has plenty.
In the American South they say, "Eat fish, live longer. Eat oysters, love longer.” This is no fish tale. Fish lay their roe in schools signifying fecundity and abundance. One Harvard study of the effects of fish consumption on fertility found the daily odds of a bedroom romp were 39% greater when both sex partners ate fish that same day.
But, mostly let’s consider that fish swim forward representing forward momentum. Think of the anadromous salmon, “running upward,” struggling against the current in its quest to spawn the next generation. Eating fish is a good habit to encourage early in family. With thoughtful decision-making, sourcing and preparing fish need not be your “wild run.”
Although fish can be a significant source of persistent pollutants, they are not the only source. Avoiding fish altogether is not a solution. The American Academy of Pediatrics 2019 statement pointed out that, “Most exposure for Americans to dietary PCBs is from red meat and dairy consumption. On a per-weight basis, butter and processed meats may have as much PCBs as fish, if not more.” As with dioxins, PCB regulation has resulted in declines over the past decades and should continue to fall. However, fish is a major contributor to PFAS ingestion, those persistent ‘forever’ chemicals, which can also be found in eggs and produce grown near fields affected by previous leaching. I’ve shared strategies below to help reduce exposure as US state, Canada, and European Union regulations begin to prioritize PFAS water and food packaging restrictions and food surveillance.
Three major health agencies, the WHO, FDA/EPA, and EFSA (European Union) have reviewed the evidence to conclude the net benefits of eating fish outweigh the negatives. In addition to well-established reductions to the risk of heart and vascular disease, fish is important to pregnant women and young children for early brain development and to women and men for brain cognitive health. DHA and EPA essential omega-3 fatty acids are structural components in the eye’s retina, critical to vision. Eating 2 servings of fish weekly reduces the risk of age-related macular degeneration, a late-life deterioration of vision that leads to loss of sight.
It’s worth some discussion of the state of fish as a food source, so I’ll be spending some time over this next year to address some considerations that will help ease decisions. That should keep a forward momentum when it comes to fish and prevention.
Point of Purchase
Source the freshest fish available to you for best flavor and store in the refrigerator on a bag of ice. Identify purveyors who source fish directly from the dock to minimize transport and handling time. Sven of Svenfish who built his business greeting Georges Bank fishing boats at New Bedford Harbor told me better to freeze my fresh catch if not preparing it within 48 hours rather than to hold an extra day in the fridge. I’ll freeze and defrost a filet even if holding to eat on a third day or for up to a month. When purchasing, both fresh and previously frozen fish from reputable providers can make a great meal.
Request filets of even thickness and width to aid even cooking. The flesh should be firm and plump and smell neutral with no ammoniated odor. Whole fish should have clear eyes and glistening scales with no signs of aging. For the fish hesitant, start by introducing milder, clean-tasting fish varieties like halibut, red snapper, haddock, tilapia, and arctic char. Quality fish requires very simple preparation. Some seasoning, olive oil, some herbs, and possibly a squeeze of citrus.
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Balance the health benefit: risk ratio
In 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued updated advice regarding eating fish, including for children and women who are pregnant or may become pregnant.
For most adults, pregnant women and older children: eat two to three servings of low mercury fish (8–12 oz or 227–340 g) weekly from the “Best Choices” or one serving from the “Good choices” list. Reduce the serving size for children under age 11; 1 oz age 1-3, 2 oz age 4-7, 3 oz age 8-10. The “Best Choices” List ranks fish with lower mercury content. See Chart Below.
According to the World Health Organization October 2023 human health risk-benefit assessment:
“strong evidence exists for health benefits of total fish consumption during all life stages: pregnancy, childhood, and adulthood… Benefits were seen with consumptions higher than 100 grams /week (about 3.5 oz)”
Eat 2-3 servings of fish weekly
For consideration of cardiovascular benefits, a serving size of 4 ounce of Atlantic salmon provides about 2 grams of omega-3 fatty acids, and the AHA recommends two 3-4 oz servings, particularly of fatty fish, weekly. In the Cardiovascular Health Cognition Study, eating fatty fish more than twice per week compared to those who ate fish less than once per month was associated with a reduced risk of dementia by 28% and Alzheimer’s Disease by 41% for those without the predisposing APOE ε4 gene.
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Eat a variety, particularly smaller species
Salmon is one of the richest sources of EPA and DHA omega-3 fats, so try to make at least one of your servings salmon or a choice from the oily fish list. Cold-water oily fish such as salmon, anchovies, herring, mackerel, bluefin and albacore tuna, and sardines have the highest levels of omega-3 essential fatty acids; shrimp, lobster, scallops, tilapia, and cod are on the lower end requiring more servings for impactful omega-3 content.
In addition to the waters fish inhabit, pollutants are a function of age, size, and rank on the predatory chain. Persistent organic pollutants, dioxins, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), and ‘forever’ chemicals (PFAS) bioaccumulate from kelp and krill to large, top of the chain fish like tuna and halibut becoming magnified in aquatic food webs. Moderate these larger fish and avoid high mercury fish like kingfish, swordfish, and tilefish.
A few steps when prepping and cooking
Organic pollutants including PFAS build up in fat deposits beneath the skin and its adjacent flesh. To reduce exposure, remove the skin, including the layer beneath and any fat above the fish backbone and belly meat.
Mercury accumulates in fish muscle protein, so mercury exposure is best mitigated by avoiding higher mercury species and freshwater fish. Canned chunk light tuna is generally lower in mercury content than canned albacore.
Of course, one may wish to grill or steam whole fish with skin on, occasionally, but avoid habitual consumption of skin.
When oven-roasting or broiling fish, use a grate to allow the fat to drip away and discard it. Avoid using drippings to baste the fish.
Don’t overlook bivalves like mussels and oysters which offer high quality protein to complement your meals. They are some of the most sustainably farmed seafood available.
Avoid fried fish, and be vigilant in restaurants where French fries and other foods share the deep fryer. Establishments tend to recycle frying oil or dispose it at the end of the day allowing impurities to accumulate.
Know the waters where fish is sourced.
Imports account for more than 80% of seafood today impeding traceability and producer responsibility. Work with a fish provider who knows where wild-caught fish and farmed fish once swam and can vouch for quality product. Socially and environmentally responsible regenerative farming attentive to sustainability and quality product is in a growth phase. Seek out these sources.
Limit freshwater fish and check state advisories
In a 2024 survey of fish from US waters to the North Sea, ocean wild-caught fish as well as farmed fish generally have lower PFAS levels compared to fish surveyed from freshwater sources in the US and Sweden. While persistent pollutant levels vary within each species, mercury and residual dioxins and PCBs tend to be higher in freshwater lake and stream fish. The Environmental Protection Agency conducts freshwater surveys and hosts a website listing historical fish advisories, and state by state advisories should be checked before consuming recreationally caught fish. Be aware that the tolerated levels and types of toxins (PCBs, dioxins, and mercury) are variably regulated between states.
In the 2022 FDA survey of PFAS in market-available fish, the highest concentrations were found in shellfish, specifically, clams [imported from China], crabs [Indonesia, Mexico], followed by lean fish (cod, pollock, tuna, tilapia [lowest]), with “fatty fish (salmon) having the lowest concentrations of all of the fin fish.” Shrimp, vulnerable to contaminants, had only one fluorinated compound detected in all 10 samples which the authors attributed to aquaculture production [Indonesia].
Support regenerative aquaculture and plant-based fish feed use
A well-publicized 2004 Science study questioned the safety of farmed fish compared to wild-caught species alarming the public, but conditions today make responsibly-farmed products desirable. Introduction of plant-based fish feeds has improved the quality of sustainably-raised farmed salmon, in particular.
I prefer salmon raised in the Faroe Islands where there is stringent regulation and integrated control from feed to stocking rates to transportation as three fish-farming companies comprise half the region’s export value. That oversight has allowed little to no antibiotic use and evolution of feed technologies that optimize fish nutritional value while limiting exposure to contaminants more prevalent in mostly fishmeal feeds.
No-Recipe Salmon Glazes
I find the best recipe can be no recipe. I tend to keep my fish treatment simple. These salmon glazes take just two minutes to put together from ingredients typically stocked in my refrigerator and pantry. I brush them on with a silicone pastry or basting brush for even coating and pop in the oven at 425 F or on the grill. The trick to judging doneness is vigilance. As soon as the thickest mid-interior loses its translucence, remove the filets from the oven. Keep in mind that they will continue cooking from the residual heat. Inserting a knife is the only way to judge doneness well, in my opinion, so let go of plating a picture-perfect filet.
Miso / 2 tsp white miso + 2 tsp cooking rice wine or mirin
Honey Mustard/ 1 tsp honey + 2 tsp mustard + 2 tsp mayonnaise
Chipotle/ 1 tsp chipotle flake + 2 tsp mayonnaise
Soy Maple/ 2 tsp low-sodium soy + 2 tsp maple syrup
Chili Crisp/ 2 tsp chili crisp + 2 tsp honey
Tarragon/ 2 Tbsp chopped tarragon + 1 tsp mustard + 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Where you can find more Healthy Recipes
For more fish inspiration, healthy recipes, and lower sugar desserts, see www.ellenkornmehlmd.com
To see what I’m cooking, join me on Instagram @mdwritesrecipes
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I’m a retired MD and insatiable food lover who writes globally-inspired recipes and food matters; what you wish your family MD had time to tell you to eat for long life and raise healthy kids.
I cared for cancer patients as a Harvard Medical School faculty member during my career as a physician. I’ve come to the conclusion that prevention requires more nutritional literacy and cooking skills. We all know we need to eat healthier, so I offer lots of recipes and time-saving strategies to help solve the challenges of dinner and make healthy meals that won’t leave a food lover wanting.
Ellen, I always learn so much from your articles! I eat fish (different types) about three times a week. I hope that's okay. I love your photos as well!
Great info! Thanks for posting. I have been lucky enough to live by the ocean a large chunk of my life and never feel better than when I have access to seafood.