Five Safe Fish Choices

Yes, the list changes often. But for now you can choose from these five options and feel good about it.

Wild Alaskan Salmon

Eco Cred: Strict monitoring by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has fostered a robust, resilient population.

Shopping Tip: Pacific Northwest wild-caught salmon is the next-best alternative. Farmed salmon is notoriously wasteful and hazardous to ecosystems; the fish harvested in contained farms on land is a better bet.

Look for: Fresh around May through September; frozen year-round

Plus: Healthy Salmon Recipes

Pacific Halibut

Eco Cred: Most of these bottom-dwelling flatfish are caught in Alaska with fishing lines that float just above the ocean bottom, causing little damage or bycatch. Annual population assessments and catch limits make for an abundance of the fish.

Shopping Tip: Skip Atlantic (it's overfished) and California (it has high levels of mercury).

Look for: Fresh March through October; frozen year-round

Mussels

Eco Cred: Seaver jokes that eating these mollusks is a "patriotic duty": They're farmed suspended in the water, causing no damage to the ocean floor. What's more, the shellfish filter water through their bodies, removing tiny bits of nutrients and helping to keep nearby waters clean.

Shopping Tip: Look for varieties farmed in high tidal-flow areas, such as Maine or Prince Edward Island. Skip "on-bottom" farmed mussels -- the dredging can damage the seafloor.

Look for: Fresh year-round

Barramundi

Eco Cred: Barramundi farmers in the United States tend to use a recirculating aquaculture system, which generates zero wastewater and eliminates the risk of disease and pollution. The fish is new to the market; look for it in your local Chinatown.

Shopping Tip: If you can only find imported barramundi, that's a safe tradeoff; the fish most likely will have come from a U.S.-controlled farm in Vietnam, where it's raised in a recirculating system to eliminate bycatch.

Look for: Frozen year-round

Pacific Sardines

Eco Cred: Their life span is short, so they accumulate fewer toxins, and their reproduction is rapid. Plus, sardine fisheries usually employ safe methods.

Shopping Tip: Say no to most Atlantic varieties, which come from the Mediterranean and face declining populations due to overfishing. Canned sardines are an affordable pantry staple.

Look for: Fresh in summer; canned and jarred year-round

Make these Safe and Sustainable Seafood Recipes

More healthy living ideas:
12 Ways to Prevent Food Waste
How to Grow an Edible Garden
The Rules of Snacking
Recipes to Jump-Start Weight Loss