Take a look at an omnivore or pescatarian RD's day on a plate, and you’re more than likely to spot a few servings of seafood a week. That’s because the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating at least two servings of seafood each week. From the super-convenient tinned fish to hit your lunchtime protein goal, to wild-caught, B-vitamin rich salmon salad for dinner, fish is the perfect way to balance your plate and get a whole host of important nutrients, vitamins, and brain-beneficial omega-3 fatty acid into your system. 

Bonus - you can make good choices for your health that are also good for the planet. It’s important to learn how to shop for sustainable seafood that will protect the big blue, and you too.

Too often, words like sustainable and eco-friendly are thrown out into the world without a clear definition, making it difficult to understand exactly what we should be looking for. 

When it comes to seafood, sustainability is specifically about fish that is caught in a way that keeps the marine environment intact, comes from a healthy population of fish, and is caught with oversight from regional and national management bodies.

The MSC was established to end overfishing and ensure future generations can enjoy the same sustainable, wild seafood we do now. Its certification and ecolabelling program builds a more sustainable seafood market and, as a bonus, makes the eco-minded individual’s grocery store visit a whole lot easier.

When you see the MSC blue fish label, you can trust that the seafood you’re buying is sustainably sourced, from an ocean-to-plate traceable supply chain, and wild-caught. All MSC certified seafood has been vetted against a set of criteria that was developed in partnership with scientists, the fishing industry, conservation groups, and other experts to verify the sustainability of a fishery. In addition, the MSC requires third-party assessments and auditing of all fisheries in the program and conducts fish DNA testing periodically as a fail-safe against fraud and mislabeling.

Once you get in the habit of looking for the MSC blue fish label, you’ll see it’s not just found with fish at the seafood counter. You’ll find it when shopping for frozen fish, canned fish, pet food and even supplements! 

Firstly - it’s a myth that cooking seafood is hard. We promise. In fact, it’s super simple, quick-cooking and can even be cooked from frozen in many cases! There’s a whole world of dishes to try, from impressive dinner party favorites to weekday lunches in a hurry. If you’re feeling intimidated, start with something easy like pan-fried shrimp in a stir fry or salad, or a salmon fillet under the broiler. Canned fish is another great place to begin, as it’s incredibly versatile and requires no fancy cooking skills whatsoever.