The healthiest fish and chips involves choosing grilled or baked white fish (like snapper or cod) or salmon, using sweet potato or regular potato wedges baked in the oven or air fryer with minimal oil, opting for a large fresh salad instead of fried extras, and swapping high-fat sauces for yogurt-based dips like tzatziki. Reducing salt and choosing healthier cooking methods like baking or grilling over deep-frying is key to a nutritious meal, say nutritionists.
Without doubt, grilled fish is the best option from a fish and chip shop. High in protein and low in fat, if you enjoy your grilled fish with a Green or Greek salad you will have yourself a very healthy, take away meal.
Cod. It's a British classic in fish & chips, but cod is also one of the healthiest white fish around. It's high in protein and, depending on how you cook it, low in fat and a good source of vitamin B12, needed for energy, nervous system and potentially helping prevent depression.
The Top 10 Healthiest Fish to Eat and Their Benefits
Baking, grilling, barbecuing, steaming, poaching and shallow frying (particularly when using heart-friendly oils like olive oil) are healthy choices, while options like deep fried battered fish should be eaten in moderation.
And that is just in terms of fat content and calories per meal, NHS guidelines are that a healthy diet should include at least 2 portions of fish a week. One portion of fish and chips provides vitamin C, B6, and B12, some Iron, Zinc and Calcium, as well as Iodine, Omega 3 fatty acid and some important dietary fiber.
Lean Fish: Varieties like cod or tilapia absorb more oil when fried but remain a healthy option when cooked with high-quality olive oil. Fatty Fish: Fish like salmon and trout are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and absorb less oil, making them a healthier choice.
The unhealthiest fish to eat are typically large, predatory species high in mercury like shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and imported tilefish, plus bluefin tuna, which are dangerous for brain/nerve health, especially for pregnant women and children; also, farmed salmon and some imported tilapia/catfish raise concerns for contaminants and antibiotics, while orange roughy and Atlantic cod are often cited for high mercury and overfishing/sustainability issues.
These non-game fish are the ugly, sucker-mouthed, snaggle-toothed, mottled menagerie of undesirables which includes suckers, gar, bowfin, snakehead, carp, buffalo, freshwater drum, and many others.
Top 10 Foods for Health
The healthiest takeaway options focus on grilled/steamed proteins, lots of veggies, and whole grains, with great choices including Vietnamese pho or rice paper rolls, Japanese sushi/sashimi (avoiding fried), Thai salads, Mexican bowls (lean protein, beans, salsa), or Greek/Mediterranean salads with grilled chicken, opting for sauces on the side. Key is to choose fresh, less processed items and limit deep-fried, creamy, or sugary options.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that to consume those higher amounts, children should only be fed fish from the “Best Choices” list that are even lower in mercury – these fish are anchovies, Atlantic mackerel, catfish, clams, crab, crawfish, flounder, haddock, mullet, oysters, plaice, pollock, salmon, ...
Ingredients. Beer battered cod fillets: 4 175g thick cod fillets.
Fish and chips
There isn't one single "most unhealthy" chip, but highly processed, heavily flavored varieties like Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos, Fritos Chili Cheese Corn Chips, and some Pringles flavors are consistently cited for high levels of sodium, unhealthy fats, artificial additives, and refined ingredients, offering little nutritional value. Chips with long ingredient lists, artificial colors (like Red 40), sugars (dextrose, maltodextrin), and inflammatory oils (canola) are generally considered less healthy.
1. How can I make my fish and chips healthier?
Once dubbed the world's ugliest animal for its soft, lumpy appearance, the blobfish has made a stunning comeback: it was crowned this week as Fish of the Year by a New Zealand environmental group.
For classic fish and chips, especially in the UK, cod and haddock are the most popular choices, prized for their thick, white, flaky flesh that holds up well to battering and frying. Other common options include pollock, plaice, hake, and sometimes local varieties like barramundi (Australia) or flake (shark meat in Australia), all providing a firm, mild white fish texture.
These fish are also safe to eat at least once per week: anchovies, clams, Dungeness crab, king crab (U.S.), snow crab, Pacific cod, crawfish (U.S.), Atlantic herring (Canada/U.S.), spiny lobster (Australia/Baja/U.S.), Atlantic mackerel, blue mussels, farmed oysters, Alaska pollock, canned pink/sockeye salmon, sardines, ...
Omega-3 fatty acids
Oily fish like salmon, trout, and sardines have the most omega-3s. Low-fat white fish such as cod, tilapia, and haddock don't have as much. Eating fish with omega-3s may help decrease: Inflammation.
If you've come across one of the many 'stinky fish challenge' videos on YouTube, it's most likely the Swedish fermented fish 'surströmming' you've watched people (trying to) eat. Surströmming is a traditional dish from northern Sweden that arose during the 16th century when Sweden had a salt shortage.
Oily fish, like yellowtail and some types of tuna, may also not freeze. Instead, opt for the tastiest and healthiest frozen fish like Pacific cod, catfish, swordfish, tilapia, halibut, or pollack.
Oily fish – such as salmon and sardines – is also particularly high in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which can help to keep your heart healthy. Most of us should have more fish in our diet, including more oily fish. There is different advice for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and children and babies.
Worst: Fish High in Mercury
Imported swordfish. Imported marlin. Shark. Tilefish.