When aiming to improve our health, we often hear about various "superfoods" that can make a big impact. But one of the best foods we can add to our diet is often overlooked: fish. Less than a quarter of the American population consumes fish on a regular basis, a number we want to increase since there are many health benefits to eating fish. Seafood can be an important tool for weight management, offering high-quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and essential vitamins and minerals lacking in many typical American diets.
Nutritional Benefits of Seafood
Seafood is packed with many nutrients, including high-quality protein, iodine, and various vitamins and minerals. Fatty species like salmon, trout, sardines, tuna, and mackerel are considered the healthiest due to their higher content of fat-based nutrients, including vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. Vitamin D is hard to find in food. Fish also can provide omega 3 fats, which most of us don't consume nearly enough of.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for optimal body and brain function and are strongly linked to a reduced risk of many diseases. EPA helps control and reduce inflammation. This is helpful for anyone but can be particularly impactful for people suffering from swelling and pain in their joints. To meet your omega-3 requirements, eating fatty fish twice a week is recommended. If you are a vegan, opt for omega-3 supplements made from microalgae.
Protein Content
Seafood is a wonderful source of high-quality protein. One 5 oz can of tuna or salmon provides approximately 30 grams of protein. Tuna and salmon also come in a variety of flavors, from simply seasoned in spring water to boldly flavored with garlic, olive oil, spicy chilis, and more. Seafood is also getting more and more convenient thanks to grab-and-go options like packets, no-drain cans, and customizable tuna and salmon salad kits.
Seafood and Weight Loss
In our modern world, weight management is more than just a passing concern. It is a central challenge that millions face daily. While countless diets and programs promise results, one fundamental truth stands clear: sustainable weight loss requires adequate protein without excess calories, all while maintaining adequate intake of essential nutrients. This nutritional puzzle has led many to rely on familiar protein sources like chicken breast, protein powders, and egg whites. However, there's an overlooked solution that outperforms them all on protein-to-calorie balance: lean white fish! Lean white fish should feature prominently in your weight loss plan.
Read also: Warm Up with Keto Seafood Chowder
Lean Fish vs. Fatty Fish
When it comes to choosing fish for weight loss, Ayyad says it depends on your goals. Fatty fish contain good amounts of protein but are also rich in those omega 3 fats that are so beneficial for us. If your goal is weight loss, it might be more beneficial for you to consume leaner fish a few times a week. These are still very beneficial since they're a great source of protein and vitamins and minerals we might not find elsewhere in our diet.
Finding the Best Protein: Calorie Ratio
When you're aiming to lose weight while preserving muscle, getting enough protein within a limited calorie budget becomes a critical mathematics problem. To get 30 grams of protein, you’d have to eat a portion of about 160g (5.6 ounces) of ribeye steak. But here's the hidden cost - that 30 grams of protein comes with 32 grams of fat and totals 418 calories. That's 28% of a 1,500-calorie daily target, just to get less than a third of your protein needs. Chicken thighs (skinless, boneless) are leaner, but you still need to eat about 161 grams (5.6 ounces) of chicken thigh to get 30 grams of protein, which comes with 13 grams of fat and clocking in at 243 calories. Even salmon, celebrated for its healthy fats, requires 148 grams (5.2 ounces) to deliver 30 grams of protein, but packages it with 17.4 grams of fat for a total of 285 calories.
Now consider Pacific Rockfish - an abundant, sustainable, local West Coast white fish species with a remarkable protein-to-calorie ratio. To get those same 30 grams of protein from Rockfish, you'd need a fillet of 148 grams (5.2 ounces). But here's where it shines - this portion has just 0.8 grams of fat and 135 calories total. That’s just one third of the calories compared to ribeye steak and half compared to chicken thigh or salmon!
White Fish for Effective Weight Loss
A fascinating study by Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases, which studied a group of young, overweight adults, revealed the unique weight loss benefits of white fish. When participants ate cod five times per week as part of a reduced-calorie diet, they lost significantly more weight than participants who ate the same amount of calories but had less fish in their diet. More importantly, the group that ate cod more frequently lost more abdominal fat and showed better improvements in blood pressure (Ramel et al., 2009). The researchers found that eating fish more than 3 times per week improved insulin sensitivity, essentially helping the body manage blood sugar and energy storage more efficiently. The takeaway? Simply swapping in white fish such as cod, rockfish or sole, at least 3-5 times a week could enhance your weight loss efforts even without changing anything else about your diet!
Omega-3s and Weight Loss
Fish contain not only high amounts of protein but also Omega-3 fatty acids. A vast number of animal and human studies have shown that Omega-3s help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes. But Omega-3s also provide an additional benefit by preventing weight gain following a calorie-restricted diet. Studies showed that Omega-3s in fish can reduce leptin, the hormone responsible for us feeling hungry, by decreasing inflammation in the blood (Gray et al., 2013). In contrast, other animal-based proteins like red meat and poultry do not contain any significant amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Read also: The Best Seafood Choices
Satiety and Lean White Fish
A fascinating study published in the Journal of Nutrition discovered that eating lean white fish for lunch led to a significant decrease in calories consumed at dinner. A later study showed why fish is so satiating: the high protein from lean white fish can trigger higher levels of specific hormones (GLP-1 and PYY) that signal fullness to our brain (Van der Klaauw et al., 2013). GLP-1 is our body’s own natural Ozempic. Think of these hormones like your body's natural appetite control system. Incorporating lean white fish protein into your meals is so effective for weight loss because it can activate this system more effectively than other protein sources. It can also help maintain more stable blood sugar levels compared to protein from beef.
Types of Seafood for Weight Loss
With the variety of fish available, from mild, lean fillets to rich, buttery options, there’s something for every palate and every weight-loss goal.
Lean White Fish
White fish like Pacific Rockfish, Sole, and Lingcod are excellent sources of lean protein, low in fat and calories-ideal for weight loss. A balanced intake of calories, fat, and protein is key to feeling full (thanks to signals sent to the brain) and staying on track with calorie goals. Another lean white fish, Pacific Dover Sole, *likely has the highest protein content of any food-offering 20% more protein than the leading whey protein powder. Canary Rockfish is also an excellent lean protein option, delivering twice the protein of lean skirt steak and 3.5 times more Omega-3s than tilapia or yellowfin tuna.
Some examples of lean white fish include:
- Rockfish
- Sole
- Lingcod
- Halibut
- Whiting
- Cod
- Petrale Sole
- Dover Sole
Fatty Fish
Fatty fish, such as salmon, herring, and mackerel, have been considered health beneficial largely due to their high content of marine n-3 PUFA. Researchers believe that fatty types of fish are even more beneficial for heart health due to their high omega-3 fatty acid content. In a 2020 review study, researchers concluded that fish consumption is associated with a lower incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and mortality.
Read also: Healthy food access with Highmark Wholecare explained.
Other Seafood Options
- Tuna: Tuna and salmon also come in a variety of flavors, from simply seasoned in spring water to boldly flavored with garlic, olive oil, spicy chilis, and more.
- Shrimp: Grilled shrimp right off the barbecue.
- Seafood Mix: Our seafood is fresh and delivered directly to you with a click of a button at a price you can afford. Many dieters select our Ultimate Seafood Sampler to start, as it offers some of the ocean's best!
How to Incorporate Seafood into Your Diet
Here are some tips on how to incorporate seafood into your diet for weight loss:
- Start with small changes: Even 10-15 minutes of movement counts. As you build strength and confidence, you might find yourself naturally wanting to do more.
- Choose affordable options: If you can afford wild-caught fish, great - but don't let thinking that it's not as healthy because it's cheaper keep yourself from purchasing farm-raised seafood.
- Be mindful of preparation methods: The one caveat to catfish is that frying - the most common way I see this particular type of fish prepared - can negate a lot of the benefits we would otherwise get. As for sushi rolls and poke bowls, these come with a bit of a warning, too. Especially if your goal is weight loss, this is where an option like sashimi or fish tacos might be the better choice.
- Experiment with new recipes: Experiment with new recipes that excite your taste buds.
- Combine with whole grains, vegetables, and fruits: Remember that whole grains, a generous serving of your favorite fish, and a rainbow of vegetables create more than just a pretty plate-they provide the perfect mix of protein, fiber, and nutrients that helps prevent those 4 pm energy crashes.
Recipe Ideas
- Tuna Waldorf Salad: Our Tuna Waldorf Salad, for example, has crunch, creaminess, leafy greens, and just a touch of sweetness for an end result that tastes so good you’ll forget it has anything to do with weight management.
- Everything Bagel Salmon Brown Rice Bowl: Another power recipe is our Everything Bagel Salmon Brown Rice Bowl, which layers morsels of salmon atop a bowl of brown rice with shredded carrots, radishes, and avocado.
- Avocado Tuna Salad: If Mexican is more your speed, try an Avocado Tuna Salad, which gets its savory kick from cumin, chili powder, cilantro and red onion.
Additional Health Benefits of Eating Fish
Eating fish may offer many health benefits, from improving heart health to boosting brain function. Incorporating fish into your diet may contribute to long-term wellness.
Brain Health
A 2024 meta-analysis showed that people who ate more fish were linked to slower rates of mental decline. Studies also reveal that people who eat fish twice per week are more likely to have more gray matter compared to people who eat fish less than once weekly.
Mental Health
Numerous studies reveal that omega-3 fatty acids may help defend against depression and significantly increase the effectiveness of antidepressant medications. Fish and omega-3 fatty acids may also aid other mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder.
Vitamin D
Fish and fish products are among the best dietary sources of vitamin D. Fatty fish like salmon and herring contain the highest amounts. A single 4-ounce (113-gram) serving of cooked salmon contains 127% of the recommended intake of vitamin D for adults younger than 70 years, and 95% of the recommended intake for adults older than 70 years.
Asthma Prevention
A 2018 meta-analysis suggests that introducing fish early in life (ages 6 to 9 months) and regularly consuming all fish (once weekly) may reduce asthma and wheezing in children up to 4.5 years old, while fatty fish intake may be beneficial in older children. A 2019 study suggests that a higher consumption of fish and seaweed may lower the prevalence of asthma in children.
Improved Sleep
A 2024 review and meta-analysis on the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on sleep suggests that omega-3s may improve sleep quality. A 2017 study indicated that fish consumption may improve neurodevelopmental outcomes not only by directly affecting cognitive processes but also by improving sleep. The researchers speculated that this may have been caused by the omega-3 content of fish.