How much fish? page

[Namie]

Going paleo on a strict budget means I love eating mackerel, etc. I love the taste of mackerel, it gives me protein, vit D and omega 3 and relatively low mercury. But how much is too much?

At the moment I only allow myself to eat it once or twice a week. Can I get away with more? If so it'd really help bring down my food costs.

[primalrob]

i think you can eat it more than twice per week. there may be some concern over the mercury, but if you make sure you're getting a lot of selenium you should be fine. i eat sardines pretty much every day for my omega balance. speaking of which, remember that the goal is to get a 1:1 balance, so if you are going to eat a lot of fish, throw in some eggs or chicken in there too for some omega 6.
how is this cutting your food costs? beef and chicken cost a lot less per pound here than fish. if i could afford to eat fish (other than a can of sardines) every day i probably would.

[Namie]

Thanks. Here, chicken and beef is really expensive compared to mackerel. I'm in the UK so I guess we get a lot of mackerel round here.

[peril]

No mercury concern for mackerel. It is a small fast growing fish. Also the selenium will impede any mercury uptake. Pig out on 'em

[halfbunny]

My uncle says -he works in harbour and fishing management- you can eat the small mackerel unlimited, but the big 'smoked' ones maximum twice per week as in SOME of them the mercury level MAY be high. That is, in one out of 1000 individuals and often the gut is cleaned out well (soon) enough not to leave too many traces.

Anyways, wisdom and insight can change daily, so I'd think if you change it up with 'eggs only days', you are safe! I hope you like the taste of mackerel btw, as you are eating it so often.

[emmie]

No mackerel, but I eat fish almost daily--perhaps 5 or 6 days a week, sometimes 7. I actually prefer fish to meat, but I also eat grass-fed bison regularly.

[Nigel]

I love the taste of mackerel,

What about other fish? Salmon, sardines and herring come in tins at a reasonable price too. My wife also gets fresh fish bits from Sainsbury's when available. I presume they're just odds and ends of different varieties that are not saleable as a specific fish. Lidl stock free range fresh chicken at a value for money price as well.