Fish

Fish are high in protein, with so-called oily (or fatty) fish also being high in omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, specifically EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Omega-3 fats (or oils) can help lower the risk of;

CVD
inflammation

At least once a week for fatty fish. Only twice a week for some (one oily).

Oily fish can contain higher levels of pollutants like PCBs, dioxins, and mercury. These substances build up in fatty tissue, so oily fish tend to store more of them than white fish.

The UK's National Clinical and Health Care Excellence (NICE) organisation states there is no evidence that omega 3 fatty acid compounds (i.e supplements) help to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD).¹ This suggests omega 3 must be obtained from the flesh of oily fish and other seafoods, rather than the oil extracted from fish livers.

Oily Fish/Seafood Omega 3 Content

All the data here comes from the UK's Department of Health's Nutrient analysis of fish and fish products, summary report, published in 2013.² All figures stated are grams (g) of omega 3 per 100 grams of fish/seafood flesh. Unfortunately many fatty (and other) fish were not analysed.

Before you get into the data, let's summarise; so-called white fish such as cod and haddock, contain very little omega 3 and of the fish that do have a worthwhile amount of omega 3; mackerel has the highest, with kippers a close second and canned sardines third.

Here's the fatty fish/seafood with a high amount of omega 3, in descending order (highest to lowest);

mackerel; raw: 4.05, grilled: 4.83, smoked: 5.57, canned in brine: 3.53
kippers (without butter); grilled: 3.35
sardines; raw: 1.32, canned in brine: 2.50, canned in tomato sauce: 2.98
salmon; cold smoked: 2.18, hot smoked: 2.28
kippers (with butter), boil in the bag; 2.19
trout, rainbow; raw: 1.41, baked: 1.72
salmon, red; canned: 1.65, canned (skinless & boneless): 1.50
salmon, pink; canned: 1.34
crab, brown meat, purchased cooked: 1.30
sea bass; raw: 1.71, baked 1.23

It's worth noting that tuna was once considered a fatty fish but no longer is based on the analysis data above.

Fish & seafood that wasn't analysed but also contains a high amount of omega 3 includes;

Now for fish or seafood that doesn't contain a high amount of omega 3 (in the flesh anyway), again, in descending order (highest to lowest);

mussels, purchased cooked: 0.54
plaice; raw: 0.22, coated in breadcrumbs & baked: 0.76
prawns, cold water, purchased cooked: 0.20
haddock; 0.09, grilled: 0.10, steamed: 0.19
haddock, smoked; poached: 0.19
alaskan pollock; raw: 0.14
sole; raw: 0.14, grilled: 0.13
prawns, king, warm water; raw: 0.12, grilled: 0.14
cod; raw: 0.08, baked: 0.13, microwaved: 0.09, coated in batter & fried: 0
tuna; raw: 0.09, baked: 0.11, canned in brine: 0.32, canned in sunflower oil: 0.18
crab, white meat, purchased cooked: 0.07
prawns, king, warm water, purchased cooked: 0.07

Further Information

References

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Created: 2026-02-12

Last Updated: 2026-02-12