what seafood can you eat while pregnant

You can eat a wide variety of seafood while pregnant as long as it is low in mercury and fully cooked; in most guidelines, that means about 2–3 servings (8–12 ounces) per week of “best choice” fish and shellfish.

How much seafood is safe?

• Most health authorities advise 8–12 ounces (about 2–3 meals) per week of low‑mercury seafood in pregnancy.

• This amount gives you omega‑3 fats and protein without exposing the baby to too much mercury.

Best low‑mercury choices

These are usually in the “Best Choices” category and can be eaten 2–3 times per week, fully cooked.

• Salmon, sardines, herring, anchovies, trout, Pacific mackerel.

• Shrimp, crab, lobster, pollock, tilapia, cod, catfish, scallops, clams, oysters (only cooked), mussels.

• Canned light tuna (not albacore) in moderation within the 8–12 ounce weekly total.

HTML table of common safe options

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Seafood</th>
      <th>Safe in pregnancy?</th>
      <th>Typical limit</th>
      <th>Notes</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Salmon</td>
      <td>Yes, when fully cooked [web:1][web:3]</td>
      <td>2–3 servings/week [web:1][web:9]</td>
      <td>Rich in omega‑3 fats [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Shrimp</td>
      <td>Yes, fully cooked [web:1][web:3]</td>
      <td>2–3 servings/week within total [web:3][web:9]</td>
      <td>Low mercury, very popular choice [web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Tilapia, cod, pollock</td>
      <td>Yes, fully cooked [web:1][web:3]</td>
      <td>2–3 servings/week [web:1][web:9]</td>
      <td>Mild flavor, easy to prepare [web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Canned light tuna</td>
      <td>Yes, in moderation [web:1][web:3][web:9]</td>
      <td>Part of 8–12 oz/week total [web:1][web:9]</td>
      <td>Avoid using it as your only fish [web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Albacore (white) tuna, tuna steak</td>
      <td>Limit, higher mercury [web:1][web:3][web:9]</td>
      <td>Up to 6 oz/week at most [web:1][web:9]</td>
      <td>Count it toward weekly total [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Crab & lobster</td>
      <td>Yes, fully cooked [web:3][web:7]</td>
      <td>Within 8–12 oz/week total [web:9]</td>
      <td>Many pregnant people enjoy occasional crab or lobster rolls [web:10]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Oysters, mussels, clams</td>
      <td>Yes only if fully cooked [web:1][web:3]</td>
      <td>Within weekly total [web:9]</td>
      <td>Never eat them raw in pregnancy [web:1]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Seafood to avoid or strictly limit

• Avoid high‑mercury, predatory fish such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, marlin, bigeye tuna, and orange roughy.

• Limit albacore (white) tuna and tuna steaks to no more than about 6 ounces (one meal) per week, counted inside your weekly seafood total.

• Avoid raw or undercooked sushi, sashimi, ceviche, and raw shellfish (like raw oysters) because of bacteria and parasites.

Practical tips and “real‑life” angle

Many pregnant people share on forums that they safely enjoy things like cooked salmon, shrimp tacos, and even the occasional cooked lobster roll, as long as the seafood is fresh and well‑cooked.

To keep it simple day to day:

• Aim for 2–3 seafood meals weekly from the low‑mercury list.

• Make sure everything is cooked until opaque and flaky (or firm for shellfish).

• Skip the short list of large predatory fish and anything raw.

If you have specific concerns (for example, local fish you catch yourself or a health condition), it is safest to review your choices with your prenatal clinician, using the FDA pregnancy fish chart as a reference.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.