Finding Affordable Fish and Seafood

Wild salmon jumping in Ketchikan, Alaska

Wild Alaskan salmon is one of the healthiest fish to eat because it's a rich source of healthy omega-3 fats and it's low in toxic contaminants from the environment like mercury and PCBs.

(Avoid farm-raised salmon and wild salmon from Washington, Oregon, and California because they contain toxic levels of environmental toxins.)

Fresh wild salmon is a luxury because it’s expensive and only in season for a few months each year (species include chinook, chum, coho, pink, and sockeye). Eat it whenever you can, but also be aware of less expensive ways to incorporate non-toxic seafood into your diet:

• Buy frozen wild Alaskan salmon. It's less expensive than fresh and available year-round. Prepare it grilled, roasted, sautéed, poached, or cured with sea salt. 

• Buy canned wild Alaskan salmon. It’s even less expensive than frozen salmon and also available year-round. Use it to make fish cakes and fish stews or chowders. Stir in into scrambled eggs and add it to salads.

• If you live in an area where you have access to a fish and seafood market, make friends with your local fishmonger and learn how to identify freshness. Seafood shouldn't have an odor, the eyes should be clear, and the flesh should be firm. 

• Lots of small and inexpensive fish are available year-round. Look for herring, Atlantic mackerel, and sardines. Learn to cook and eat the whole fish. You can ask your fishmonger clean it for you.

• Eat more clams, oysters, mussels, and squid. These inexpensive options are low in environmental toxins and easy to prepare.