In general, you can eat fish every day if you choose to. There is no evidence in the studies on this matter showing any negative results from eating fish every day. However, there are recommendations on how much fish you should eat in certain situations.
Fish is extremely healthy for you and provides a lot of health benefits that can be hard to get elsewhere. Most health organizations around the world are on the same page on having about two servings of fish per week.
Unfortunately, there are not too many studies that were conducted looking at what happens if you eat more fish than what is recommended. So what do you do if you just want to double down on the health benefits of eating more fish or just really love eating fish?
In this post, we will compile all the available information from various health organizations and studies to see what the professionals say.
Can You Eat Trout Every Day?
Even though many health organizations recommend that you have about two to three servings of fish per week minimum, many studies have concluded that eating fish, or more specifically, trout, every day is safe to do.
What is not clear, though, is if you were to eat trout every day do you get noticeable health benefits from it. There have been no detailed studies looking into this, so the jury is still out. However, many professionals believe that by eating more fish, there is a point of diminishing returns in terms of the increased health benefits.
Recommended Servings of Trout
The FDA recommends that adults should eat about 2 – 3 servings of fish per week to get the minimum amount of nutrients.
Here is the recommended serving size for adults at different weights.
| Body Weight | Serving Size |
|---|---|
| 240 lb | 12 oz |
| 220 lb | 11 oz |
| 200 lb | 10 oz |
| 180 lb | 9 oz |
| 160 lb | 8 oz |
| 140 lb | 7 oz |
| 120 lb | 6 oz |
| 100 lb | 5 oz |
| 80 lb | 4 oz |
| 60 lb | 3 oz |
| 40 lb | 2 oz |
| 20 lb | 1 oz |
Recommended Trout Servings During Pregnancy
The FDA and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend slightly different serving amounts for fish for children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.
| Serving Size | |
|---|---|
| Pregnancy | 4 oz |
| Breastfeeding | 4 oz |
| Children (1-3) | 1 oz |
| Children (4-7) | 2 oz |
| Children (8-10) | 3 oz |
| Children (11+) | 4 oz |
Health Benefits Of Eating Trout
There is a reason why so many people think about eating more trout. Trout are full of healthy fats, proteins, and nutrient-rich. In particular, trout is known to have an excellent source of:
- Protein – The building blocks for your building to build and maintain muscle and other tissues
- Niacin – Assists the body with converting food into energy as well as supporting digestive, skin, and nervous system functions
- Vitamin B12 – Help the body produce more red blood cells and support brain health.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Supports brain function, performance, and behaviour. Also known to help reduce the risk of various chronic diseases.
The largest reason why people eat fish, in general, is for the Omega 3 fatty acids, which are hard to come by elsewhere.
How Many Times a Week Should You Eat Fish For Omega-3?
The recommended amount of Omega-3 an adult should consume is 250 – 500 mg daily. Which is about 3.5 g or 3500 mg per week.
The average amount of Omega-3 fatty acids in a 2.2 oz serving of trout is approximately 581 mg/serving.
In order to eat the recommended amount of Omega-3 per week, you will need to eat between 6.6 oz to 13.2 oz of trout every week.
Who Should Not Consume Trout Every Day?
Even though many experts say that eating fish every day is safe, a cautionary note is attached to that statement.
One of the main concerns with eating fish every day is consuming too much mercury. Mercury is commonly found in fish in small doses typically. As the fish becomes larger and/or older, mercury levels tend to increase.
Digesting too much mercury could lead to health or development issues for pregnant children, babies, and pregnant women.
Fortunately for us, the FDA and other health organizations around the world already did the hard work for us by providing serving size recommendations, and if you stay within these limits, you will not be consuming too much mercury.
Trout has extremely low amounts of mercury compared to other fish. So if you stick with eating trout, you will most likely not overconsume too much mercury.
Happy Fishing & Tight Lines