How Many Nutrients You’ll Get in a Serving of Salmon - GoodRx (2024)

Salmon is a highly nutritious food that’s packed with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and a slew of other beneficial nutrients. It’s a good idea to add more of it to your diet.

You may be wondering, though, what a typical serving size for salmon is or how much of it is OK to eat. Knowing more about the recommended serving sizes for salmon as well as its benefits and risks can help you reap its many nutritional rewards.

What is the serving size for salmon?

A typical serving size for salmon is between 3 oz to 4 oz for adults. For reference, this would be about the same size as a standard deck of cards, or a little less than one quarter of a standard-sized dinner plate. The FDA and Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend adults eat 8 oz of fish per week.

Note that salmon can be bought and eaten with or without the skin, and the serving size will be the same. If you buy it with the skin on, you can choose to remove the skin after cooking, or leave it on as it is safe to consume.

Keep in mind, though, that serving size is not the same as portion size. A serving of salmon is also not the same thing as the size of a salmon filet you get at the grocery store. Serving size is simply a standardized portion of food that is used as a reference for nutrition labels. It does not necessarily reflect the recommended amount of a given food.

Portion size, on the other hand, refers to how much you choose to eat, or how much is served to you. A portion size of salmon at a restaurant, for example, may be between 5 oz to 7 oz, which is much larger than the standard serving size for salmon.

What is the recommended serving size of salmon for children?

The FDA recommends children eat two servings of fish per week, which includes salmon and other seafood. Here are the recommended serving sizes of fish for children:

• Ages 1-3: 1 oz

• Ages 4-7: 2 oz

• Ages 8-10: 3 oz

• Ages 11 and older: 4 oz

How many key nutrients does a serving of salmon provide?

A 3 oz serving of wild Atlantic salmon provides the following nutrients.

How many servings of salmon is considered too much?

There is no exact amount or number of servings of salmon that is considered too much for a healthy adult. However, some people may want to be more cautious when consuming high amounts of salmon than others.

While salmon is a low-mercury fish, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding should stick to the recommended amount (8 oz to 12 oz of low-mercury fish per week). This is to protect the health of their growing babies, since mercury is a type of heavy metal that can damage parts of the body if consumed frequently or in high amounts.

In addition, raw fish can be a source of bacteria and other pathogens. So it is best to avoid raw salmon or seafood if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or have lower immunity. For everyone else, it is best to limit your intake of raw fish to only one or two times per week.

Is it OK to eat salmon every day?

There is no known harm in most healthy people eating salmon every day. But it is best to consume a variety of types of seafood and other high-protein foods in order to get a variety of nutrients and have a more well-rounded diet. This might mean eating salmon twice a week, tuna or another fish one day a week, and shrimp or other shellfish one day a week.

Whether or not you should have salmon every day also depends on:

• How your salmon is made: For example, eating fried fish frequently can increase your intake of trans fat (a type of unhealthy fat).

• Your portion size: While a regular intake of fish is good for you, too much of any food is not ideal. Instead, having a well-balanced diet can help you get the variety of nutrients needed to support your overall health.

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• Your overall diet: If additional servings of salmon and other healthy fish are replacing less healthy foods, this may have heart health benefits (more on this below).

If you have questions about how many servings of salmon are best for you, consider talking with a registered dietitian.

What are the health benefits of eating two to three servings of salmon each week?

There are many health benefits linked to eating two to three servings of salmon a week, including:

• Heart health benefits: Because of its omega-3 fatty acid content, eating a couple of servings of salmon or other oily fish a week is linked to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and death from any heart-related event. Another review also found an association between fatty fish and lower triglyceride (blood fat) levels and higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol) levels.

• Anti-inflammatory effects: More research is needed to understand how eating salmon and other fatty fish can lower inflammation. But some evidence suggests eating servings of non-fried salmon might help.

• Younger-looking skin: Oily fish, including salmon, is often considered a skin superfood because of its omega-3 content. Salmon also contains astaxanthin, which gives it its pink color. Small studies suggest the antioxidant might improve skin hydration and elasticity.

• Improved brain health: The omega-3 fatty acid DHA plays a crucial role in the brain development of a growing fetus during pregnancy and childhood. A regular intake of omega-3s from salmon and other fatty fish may also promote better memory, attention, and behavioral health in adults.

• Better bone health: Salmon is one of the few foods that provides a natural source of vitamin D. This vitamin is required to help our bodies absorb calcium and keep our bones strong. Salmon also provides a good amount of phosphorus, which is also essential for bone health.

What is the best type of salmon?

All varieties of salmon are nearly the same in terms of nutritional profile per serving and offer the same health benefits discussed above. But there are certain factors to consider that might affect which type you choose.

• Personal preference: While some people may prefer fresh salmon, other types include frozen, canned, or smoked, which may vary in flavor.

• Sodium and other additives: A 3 oz portion of smoked salmon can contain nearly 600 mg of sodium (about 25% daily value), while the same portion of raw salmon only contains about 60 mg (about 3% daily value). Some brands of canned salmon can be high in sodium, too, so it’s best to read the nutrition labels before buying.

• Wild caught versus farmed: A 3 oz serving of wild-caught salmon has less fat than the same serving size of farmed salmon. That said, farmed salmon often contains more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids due to being given food that is fortified with nutrients. At the same time, these fish may also be given antibiotics to control infections from crowding.

• Shelf life and cost: Frozen and canned salmon have the added benefits of having a longer shelf life. They are also typically more affordable than servings of fresh salmon. But a serving of wild-caught salmon may be more expensive than farmed.