Are you looking for the healthiest fish for weight loss to help you lose weight? Do you want to know which fish is great for burning fat? If so, then you are in the right place. Healthy diet is an important part of your weight loss journey. Fish can be a valuable part of your healthy diet, but that doesn’t mean they’re all created equal – some types of fish are better than others at helping you lose weight.
Is Fish a Meat?
Fish is technically considered a meat, as it is the flesh eaten by an animal. However, nutritionally, fish can be quite different from other meats such as beef, poultry, or pork.
Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, tuna, herring, mackerel, or lake trout are good sources of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. This is unique compared to other meats and also why there are specific recommendations for fish intake.
Additionally, fish can be a good source of vitamin D, unlike other meats, and is lower in saturated fats compared to other meats. Similarities between fish and other meats include being a good source of protein and B vitamins.
Another reason fish is sometimes set apart from other meats can be from religious standpoints. Some religions exclude fish from guidelines around consuming meat.
For example, fish can be eaten on Fridays during Lent season for Catholicism but not other meats. Judaism also has unique considerations for fish apart from other meats.
Benefits of Eating Fish
Curious why everyone is talking about the health benefits of fish? Read on to discover the top 7 benefits fish offers. Some may be surprising, and not all benefits are just related to fatty fish!
1. Improve Heart Health
One of the most well-known benefits of eating fish is related to improving heart health. The reason fish can benefit heart health is mainly due to the high omega-3 fatty acids they provide. Omega-3’s helps fight inflammation, which is an underlying cause of heart disease and many other chronic diseases.
According to Mayo Clinic, omega-3 fats from fish have also been shown to help lower blood triglycerides, blood pressure, reduce blood clotting, and lower the risk of stroke.
While all fish provide some omega-3’s, fatty fish like salmon, sardines, tuna, herring, mackerel, or lake trout are highest in omega-3’s and can therefore provide the greatest heart health benefit.
2. Protect Brain Function
The omega-3 fats from fish are primarily from docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). There is a high concentration of DHA in the brain and nervous system. Therefore, eating dietary sources of DHA can directly impact brain and nervous system health.
A November 2021 study made waves by concluding fish intake is associated with brain vascular health which can ultimately lower the risk for cognitive decline. Researchers took brain scans of all study participants and asked about the frequency of eating fish.
Researchers found among healthy adults aged 65 years or older, two or more servings of fish per week may help protect against dementia. While this study does not prove fish can definitively prevent dementia and more research is needed, it does suggest fish has an important role in protecting brain function.
3. Help with Weight Management
Eating lean protein at meals can be a key component of long-term success for weight loss and management – and there are so many delicious ways to enjoy a variety of fish
Compared to other meats, most types of fish are lower in fat and calories while being high in protein. This makes fish an excellent component for healthy and filling meals that can promote weight loss and maintenance.
4. Excellent Source of Collagen
While bone broth and collagen supplements often come to mind as sources of collagen, fish is another somewhat surprising source of collagen. Collagen is a good source of amino acids, and fish-based collagen may have even more health benefits than collagen coming from land animals.
According to a 2017 review, marine-based collagen sources possess higher antioxidant effects than collagen peptides derived from other protein foods.
Pro tip: When eating fish and wanting to get the collagen benefits, do not toss the skin. Most fish collagen is from the skin as well as small bones.
5. Lower Risk for Childhood Allergies
Fish and seafood allergies are considered one of the top eight food allergens. However, if children are not allergic to fish, they can reap the health benefits of fish as well as adults.
In fact, a 2019 review suggests eating fish in early childhood years can prevent certain allergic diseases, including asthma, eczema, and allergic rhinitis (chronic runny nose). Research has also shown fish consumption in infancy was inversely related to childhood asthma incidence.
6. Lower Risk for Metabolic Syndrome
While fatty fish sources get the spotlight for heart health benefits, lean fish get the spotlight for the health benefit of lowering the risk for metabolic syndrome, according to a 2017 study.
Researchers found lean fish consumption once a week or more was significantly associated with decreased risk for metabolic syndrome, specifically for decreased triglycerides, and increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol.
Additionally, for men, decreased waist circumference and blood pressure were also associated with lean fish intake.
7. Good Source of Bone-Building Nutrients
Dairy products are not the only source of bone-building nutrients. Fish also provides two essential nutrients needed for strong bones: vitamin D and calcium.
Fish is one of the best dietary sources of vitamin D with fatty fish being the best sources. Fish with small bones like salmon and sardines also provide a source of calcium.
Healthiest Fish to Eat
1. Atlantic Mackerel
This species is a fast-growing fish, meaning it can repopulate easily and handle higher amounts of fishing. The gear used to catch types of Atlantic mackerel is efficient and not likely to cause major habitat destruction, another reason this guy is an ocean-friendly choice. This strong-flavored fish is high in heart-healthy omega-3s, a good source of protein—delivering 20 grams in a 3-ounce fillet—and pairs well with bold seasonings.
2. Salmon, Wild-Caught (including canned)
Wild-caught salmon is low in contaminants, including mercury and lead. And some salmon, like pink and sockeye, from well-managed fisheries worldwide (particularly in Alaska), also tick the box for being lower in mercury and lead. To give you an idea of how well managed Alaska’s salmon fisheries are, consider this: biologists are posted at river mouths to count how many wild fish return to spawn. If the numbers begin to dwindle, the fishery is closed before it reaches its limits, as was done recently with some Chinook fisheries. This close monitoring, along with strict quotas and careful management of water quality, means Alaska’s wild-caught salmon are both healthier (they pack more than 1,500 mg of omega-3s per serving and carry few contaminants) and more sustainable than just about any other salmon fishery.
Buying salmon in a can also makes a more affordable way to get this healthy seafood in your diet. Canned salmon is not just a great source of omega-3 fats, it is one of the best sources of nondairy calcium. A 3-ounce serving has 18% of your daily needs. Canned wild salmon is typically sockeye or pink from Alaska, but you’ll want to check the label to make sure.
3. Sardines, Wild-Caught (including canned)
The tiny, inexpensive sardine is making it onto many lists of superfoods and for good reason. It packs nearly 1,200 mg of omega-3 fats per serving and is one of the very few foods that’s naturally high in vitamin D. Many fish like herring, pilchards, and sprat are in the same family as sardines as well. It’s also one of few foods naturally high in calcium, packing 33% of your daily needs per serving.
Quick to reproduce, Pacific sardines have rebounded from both overfishing and a natural collapse in the 1940s. Get a taste for sardines in our delicious Lemon-Garlic Sardine Fettuccine that even sardine skeptics might enjoy.
4. Rainbow Trout (and some types of Lake)
Rainbow trout (also referred to as steelhead trout), is one of the best fish to eat when it’s farmed in the U.S. or indoor recirculating tanks, according to Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. Trout ranks just under canned pink salmon when it comes to omega-3 content and is a good source of potassium, selenium and vitamin B6 while offering more than a day’s worth of vitamin B12.
Lake trout is a great alternative when it’s sourced from the right places. Seafood Watch advises buying lake trout caught in Lake Superior’s Michigan waters.
5. Herring
Herring is a Nordic Diet staple and for good reason—it has a higher omega-3 content than sardines, trout and mackerel. It’s also an excellent source of vitamin D and selenium. You’ll typically find herring that has been canned, cured or smoked on restaurant menus, but it can also be eaten fresh.
Seafood Watch recommends buying U.S. Atlantic herring caught with purse seines or California herring caught with set gill nets. If you haven’t befriended your local fishmonger yet, they will help you figure out the sourcing methods of your desired fish.
Healthy Fish You Can Include in Your Diet
Healthy Fish: Fishes are quite good for our health because they have omega 3 fatty acids in general which is quite good for us. Eating fish regularly will increase your immunity and stamina to fight with any disease. There are some fishes which are delicious as well as quite healthy.
1. Tuna
If you want to improve your immunity system then it is one of the best items you can try. The Scientific name of tuna fish is Thunnus thynnus. It can reduce the risk of heart attack and also decreases the blood pressure. And if you are in a weight loss plan then tuna fish is a great option for you.
It can strengthen your bone and will give you glowing skin altogether. It can also save you from deadly cancer and provides a lot of energy to continue the day with enthusiasm.
2. Salmon
This Fish is full of omega 3 fatty acid and that is why it is one of the most eaten fishes out there. If you have protein deficiency in your body or want to grow your muscles properly then you can eat this fish for sure. It has quite high vitamin B content and also a really good source to get potassium. Antioxidants are always good for our health and salmon has enough of antioxidants and selenium.
If you want to reduce your weight or the risk to have heart diseases later on, then you should include salmon in your everyday means for sure.
3. Oysters
Oysters are best for your muscle growth because it has a lot of protein in it. If you are going through some hormonal problem or weak bones then also this will be a very good food item to include in your diet. Oysters can also boost up our immunity system and help to reduce weight.
If you want good cardiovascular health and a good sleep in the night then you should consume oysters. Moreover, it can improve your mental health and can be a stress buster food item for you.
4. Sardines
Sardines are a great source of vitamin B complex and a lot of other minerals. If you want some fish to have enough protein in your body along with omega 3 fatty acid then these will be a great choice for you.
Sardines have a lot of calcium in it which will strengthen your bone. If you are going through some inflammation and heart disease then you should include in your daily diet. It is also quite helpful to reduce anxiety and depression.
In case of weight loss regime, if you consume some sardines in your lunch or dinner then you will feel full for a long time and that is why the people who are into weight loss diet prefer this item to curb their appetite.
5. Trout
If you want to include some protein in your daily diet then this fish is a great source of it. The rainbow trout species has a high content of omega 3 fatty acid and potassium which will help you control the body balance and can give you a good immunity power.
It has a lot of phosphorus which will increase your bone density and the selenium content will help you to reduce the risk of having cancer. It is one of the best fishes in the world with low contaminants and that is why so many people consider it in their daily diet.
6. Cod
If you want to have some fish to keep your heart healthy then codfish will be a great choice for you. They can protect your heart from different disease and also reduce the risk of having strokes.
Sometimes we eat fish to decrease our triglyceride in our body and the codfish can do that for hours along with the help to control our blood pressure. If you have thrombosis problem in your veins then codfish will be the best choice for you.
And if you are suffering from memory loss or else other than codfish is an essential item to include in your daily food items.