The World's Healthiest Foods are health-promoting foods that can change your life.
The George Mateljan Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation with no commercial interests or
advertising. Our mission is to help you eat and cook the healthiest way for optimal health.
Is it bad to eat regular canned tuna in water for lunch everyday?

While we might not call canned tuna "bad," we would definitely not recommend eating regular canned tuna in water every day for lunch. We are actually not big fans of eating the same thing, regardless of what it is, every day for the same meal. Foods need to be varied, and combined throughout the week in a way that gives each person the best chance of receiving all nutrients. No one food contains everything that a person needs to be well-nourished.

We have a special concern about tuna, and that concern is unwanted mercury contamination. Because of its mercury content we think it may be best for people to limit their intake. This is especially important for children, women who are pregnant, lactating or of childbearing age and those with weakened immune systems. In the spring of 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a recommendation that pregnant and nursing women, women of childbearing age and children limit their consumption of canned albacore tuna and tuna steaks to no more than 6 ounces per week and light tuna to no more than 12 ounces per week. (Light tuna has been found to contain less mercury than albacore tuna. While albacore is actually a biological species of tuna, "light" tuna may consist of several different species, including skipjack, bluefin, yellowfin, and tongol. All types except tongol may be labeled "chunk light" or "solid light", while tongol may only be labeled "chunk light".) Our recommendation when purchasing tuna is to stick with canned light versions, or if buying canned albacore, to purchase it from a reputable supplier who has had the mercury levels tested by an independent lab.

The mercury content of other types of fish will vary with the species. If you are looking for some other options that could replace your canned tuna, some varieties recommended by the Environmental Working Group and the U.S. Public Interest Group include wild Pacific salmon, flounder, haddock, shrimp, farm-raised trout and catfish; there was no mercury detected in these fish.

For more information on this topic, see:

Printer friendly version

Send this page to a friend...

rss


Find Out What Foods You Should Eat This Week

Also find out about the recipe, nutrient and hot topic of the week on our home page.

 

Everything you want to know about healthy eating and cooking from our new book.
2nd Edition
Order this Incredible 2nd Edition at the same low price of $39.95 and also get 2 FREE gifts valued at $51.95. Read more

Newsletter SignUp

Your Email:

Healthy Eating
Healthy Cooking
Nutrients from Food
Website Articles
Community
Privacy Policy and Visitor Agreement
References
For education only, consult a healthcare practitioner for any health problems.

We're Number 1
in the World!

35 million visitors per year.
The World's Healthiest Foods website is a leading source of information and expert on the Healthiest Way of Eating and Cooking. It's one of the most visited website on the internet when it comes to "Healthiest Foods" and "Healthiest Recipes" and comes up #1 on a Google search for these phrases.

Over 100 Quick &
Easy Recipes

Our Recipe Assistant will help you find the recipe that suits your personal needs. The majority of recipes we offer can be both prepared and cooked in 20 minutes or less from start to finish; a whole meal can be prepared in 30 minutes. A number of them can also be prepared ahead of time and enjoyed later.

World's Healthiest
Foods
is expanded

What's in our new book:
  • 180 more pages
  • Smart Menu
  • Nutrient-Rich Cooking
  • 300 New Recipes
  • New Nutrient Articles and Profiles
  • New Photos and Design
privacy policy and visitor agreement | who we are | site map | what's new
For education only, consult a healthcare practitioner for any health problems.
© 2001-2016 The George Mateljan Foundation, All Rights Reserved