Try these weight-loss-friendly catches to load up on omega-3s and more.

But the one thing pretty much everyone agrees on is the importance of protein in your diet.

So, if youre looking for a quality protein source, think fish.

a recipe photo Crispy Cod with Charred Snow Peas & Creamy Herb Sauce

Photo:Blaine Moats

(This research, though peer-reviewed, was funded by the fishing industry.)

So, other than protein, how does fish help with weight loss?

Aim for two fish meals per week, recommends the American Heart Association.

What will be on your menu tonight?

7 Best Fish to Eat for Weight Loss

1.

Herring

This soft, flaky fish has a bold flavor and high levels of healthy fats.

Salmon

Salmon is famous for its heart-health benefits, but did you know its also helpful for weight loss?

In addition, canned sardines also provide an excellent source of calcium because you eat the (tiny!)

bones in the fish, she says.

If youve never tried sardines, start with thisSpicy Sardine Linguine.

Tuna

Canned tuna is a classic lunch, and its full of protein and essential fatty acids, too.

Try one of these16 Healthy Lunch Ideas That Start with a Can of Tuna.

Cod also provides more iodine than many other types of fish.

Mendivil C.Fish Consumption: A Review of Its Effects on Metabolic and Hormonal Health.Nutr.

2021;14. doi:10.1177/1178638821102237

Kemp D, Kwon Y.Fish and Shellfish-Derived Anti-Inflammatory Protein Products: Properties and Mechanisms.Molecules.

2022;39(4):803-813. doi:10.20960/nh.03992

American Heart Association.Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

FoodData Central.Fish, herring, Atlantic, raw.

FoodData Central.Fish, mackerel, Atlantic, raw.

FDA.Advice About Eating Fish.

FoodData Central.Fish, trout, mixed species, raw.

FoodData Central.Fish, salmon, Atlantic, farmed, raw.

2021;11. doi:10.3389/fendo.2020.617400

USDA.

FoodData Central.Fish, sardine, Atlantic, canned in oil, drained solids with bone.

California Environmental Protection Agency.

California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.Mercury in Fish.

FoodData Central.Fish, tuna, light, canned in water, without salt, drained solids.

National Institutes of Health.Iodine.

Shahid MA, Ashraf MA, Sharma S.Physiology, Thyroid Hormone.

StatPearls Publishing; 2023.

FoodData Central.Fish, cod, Atlantic, raw.