Eating Salmon While Pregnant: Guidelines and Benefits

What to eat while pregnant is a point of contention, and one food group where it can get divisive is seafood. Silky, buttery salmon is one of those versatile fish that can be a fine dining delicacy or an easy weekly staple (tin foil dinner, anyone?). But given the cautionary advice regarding seafood and fetal health, you might wonder whether it’s safe to enjoy salmon while pregnant.

According to the FDA, the EPA, and other experts, it is considered safe for pregnant women to have salmon—in limited amounts—during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Though other sea creatures (seven, to be precise) are considered no-no’s due to their potential mercury content, you can enjoy up to 12 oz. of salmon in a single week.

That said, it’s helpful to be fully aware of the risks of eating seafood when you’re expecting and learn how to do so with the utmost care. If you’ve got a mermaid’s palate but still want to protect your baby’s health, let’s discuss eating salmon while pregnant.

Salmon During Pregnancy: How to Eat It Safely

Those who adore a simple, succulent, salmon-in-foil dinner, take heart: This fish is indeed considered fine to eat when you’re pregnant!

However, there are three main recommendations experts have for helping you enjoy salmon safely.

Ensure Salmon Is Fully Cooked

The main concern about eating salmon and seafood (and certain other types of food, for that matter) during pregnancy is bacteria. Eating only fully cooked salmon is essential for reducing your risk of consuming bacteria and parasites that could make you or your baby sick.

When in doubt, rely on the following preparation methods for salmon:

• Baking
• Broiling
• Grilling
• Pan-searing

If you’re cooking at home—especially a particularly thick filet—it’s helpful to use a thermometer to check your salmon’s internal temperature. The center should reach at least 145ºF to reduce your exposure to harmful bacteria.

Cap Your Weekly Intake

Eating salmon occasionally can be beneficial, but overdoing it can put you at risk. According to FDA guidelines, it’s best to limit your seafood intake—including but not limited to salmon—to 8 to 12 ounces per week.

The main concern here is the potential for salmon and other seafood to have mercury and other pollutants that could harm your baby’s brain and nervous system development.

If Possible, Choose Wild-Caught Salmon

When you head to the seafood aisle, you’ll likely be confronted with two main fishing or raising methods:

• Farmed salmon – Most salmon is farmed; this species is usually Atlantic salmon. They’re raised in tanks (sometimes freshwater pens) for the purpose of human consumption.
• Wild-caught salmon – Wild-caught salmon is usually of the Pacific variety. These fish are caught in open oceans, so the food they eat isn’t controlled, and they aren’t fed antibiotics (some farmed salmon are).

In general, wild salmon is the preferred kind of salmon for pregnant people because it typically contains fewer environmental pollutants and contaminants. However, they aren’t completely free of contaminants, which is why it’s safest to limit your intake during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

What about raw salmon?

Cooked salmon is considered safe for expecting moms to have once and a while. If you’re a fan of lox (smoked salmon) or salmon avocado sushi rolls, you’ll want to skip those for the duration of pregnancy and nursing.

You’ll also want to pass on salmon by the following names:

• Nova style
• Kippered
• Pâté
• Jerky

Raw preparation methods for salmon carry the risk of spreading harmful bacteria like Listeria to your baby and you. Non-pregnant people can also develop listeriosis, but pregnant individuals are 10 times more at risk. The consequences of listeriosis are severe, and can result in:

• Severe dehydration
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Preterm labor
• Stillbirth
• Miscarriage

It can also cause major defects in your baby, ranging from cognitive impairment to blindness. For now, it’s best to eliminate raw salmon altogether to significantly reduce your child’s risk.

Benefits of Eating Salmon for Maternal and Fetal Health

When prepared properly, salmon can be enormously supportive of both your and your baby’s health. In fact, the following health benefits are associated with having your salmon and eating it too.

#1 Rich Source of Protein

Salmon is an exceptional source of lean protein, with wild-caught salmon containing some 25 grams per 3.5 ounces.

When you’re pregnant, it’s recommended you have at least 70 grams of protein per day to support your baby’s rapid growth. A single 6 oz. serving of salmon will take care of well over ⅓ of your daily protein needs, making it a wholesome, efficient option.

#2 Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one of the key nutrients to pay attention to during pregnancy, as many women are found to be deficient.

Vitamin D, obtained chiefly through sunlight, fortified milk, and fish oils, is crucial for supporting both fetal and maternal bone health. A 3.5 ounce serving of salmon has some 66% of your daily recommended vitamin D supply.

#3 B Vitamins

Salmon has a remarkable quota of B vitamins, particularly vitamins B12 and B6. B6, or pyridoxine, plays a pivotal role in your baby’s brain and nervous system development. It’s also one of the few recommended treatments for NVP (nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, or “morning sickness”), making it an excellent ally in managing early pregnancy symptoms. If you’re struggling with morning sickness, read up on foods for morning sickness that can help settle your stomach.

#4 Omega-3 Fatty Acid Content

Omega-3 fatty acids are known as an all-around health powerhouse, supporting everything from cardiac health to mental well-being.

One specific type of omega-3—DHA, or the mouthful docosahexaenoic acid—is credited for optimizing infant brain development. In fact, some research suggests the children of expecting moms who had fish weekly had markedly higher verbal, motor, and memory scores than the children of those who didn’t.

Omega-3 fatty acids like DHA boast major benefits for fetal and infant development—but salmon certainly isn’t the only place to source them.

If you want to boost your omega-3 intake, try adding some other rich sources to your diet:

• Walnuts – 2570 mg per ounce (28 grams), or approximately 7 walnuts
• Chia seeds – 5050 mg per ounce (28 grams)
• Flaxseed – 2350 mg per tablespoon

Though other sources aren’t quite as potent, some ingredients contain omega-3 fatty acids in moderate amounts as well. These include:

• Pasture-raised eggs
• Grass-fed meats or dairy products
• Spinach
• Brussels sprouts
• Purslane

Algae-based supplements may also be a source of omega-3 fatty acids, as this is how salmon consume theirs. You can also find omega-3 supplements at most health or grocery stores. Pairing essential nutrients with the vitamins found in your prenatal vitamin can help improve fertility and support a strong and healthy pregnancy.

However, since supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA, they might not be the safest option. If you’re considering one, be sure to consult with your OBGYN before introducing it to your regimen. If you are trying to improve poor egg quality, talk to your doctor about the best supplements and options moving forward.

Eating Seafood During Pregnancy: Myths and Risks

There’s plenty of competing information out there about consuming seafood while pregnant.

Rightfully so: Guidelines about whether to eat, what to eat, and how much to eat during pregnancy have seen many changes over time—and they continue to evolve. Today, both the FDA and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) tout the potential neurocognitive benefits of eating fish during pregnancy, despite previously stringent recommendations.

The main concern about seafood, particularly fish, for prenatal health is the potential for mercury poisoning, which can severely injure both pregnant people and developing babies. Unfortunately, mercury is found in most “if not all” fish—but ingesting it in small amounts is not considered hazardous for fetal development.

So long as you eliminate those 7 types of seafood identified to have high levels of mercury from your prenatal and postpartum diet—and stick to the weekly recommended limits—your baby is not considered at risk of mercury poisoning.

The 7 types of seafood to avoid during pregnancy include:

• Swordfish
• King mackerel
• Bigeye tuna
• Tilefish
• Orange roughy
• Marlin
• Shark

34 Safe Types of Seafood You Can Enjoy During Pregnancy

Good news for seafood connoisseurs who are also expecting: a whopping 34 kinds of seafood are considered safe to eat during pregnancy. The list includes many types of fish and shellfish varieties that are safe and even healthy to enjoy within limits.

Here’s what you can guiltlessly enjoy (within the weekly limit, of course) for the next nine months, and ever after:

• Anchovies
• Atlantic croaker
• Atlantic or Pacific chub mackerel
• Black sea bass
• Butterfish
• Catfish
• Clams
• Cod
• Crab
• Crawfish
• Flounder
• Haddock
• Hake
• Herring
• American or spiny lobster
• Mullet
• Oysters
• Freshwater or ocean perch
• Pickerel
• Plaice
• Pollock
• Sardines
• Scallops
• Shad
• Shrimp
• Skate
• Smelt
• Sole
• Squid
• Tilapia
• Freshwater trout
• Tuna (canned)
• Whitefish
• Whiting

Remember: There’s one key guideline for safely selecting from the “surf” section of the menu during pregnancy—recommended intakes. The FDA recommends sticking to 8 to 12 ounces of seafood per week.

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At SneakPeek, our commitment is to provide accurate, up-to-date, and reliable information to empower our readers. Our content is thoroughly researched, reviewed by medical experts, and fact-checked to ensure its credibility. We prioritize the well-being and education of our readers, and our editorial policy adheres to the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in all our articles.

This post has been reviewed for accuracy by:

Haley Milot

Haley Milot, a highly skilled laboratory professional, currently serves as the Associate Director of Lab Operations at Gateway Genomics, the parent company of SneakPeek. Her extensive experience in laboratory management, spanning over seven years with Gateway Genomics, showcases her expertise in quality assurance, quality control, and the development of laboratory procedures. Haley's background includes pivotal roles in DNA extraction and purification, real-time qPCR, and specimen accessioning, underscoring her comprehensive understanding of laboratory operations and diagnostics. Her adeptness in managing complex laboratory functions and her deep knowledge of medical diagnostics make her a vital contributor to SneakPeek's innovative approach to prenatal testing.

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