Fill up with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and lean proteins!
If you’re trying to lose weight, you might want to consider incorporating some healthy seafood recipes into your weekly meal plan. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish twice a week as part of a heart-healthy diet. That’s because seafood like shrimp, salmon, tuna, and cod are packed full of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. These types of seafood also make great choices as lean proteins because they’re low in saturated fats and high in nutrients that our bodies can’t produce on their own.
Healthy Seafood Recipes for Weight Loss
Healthy seafood recipes for weight loss are beneficial because they are high in protein and low in fat. They also contain essential vitamins and minerals, which can help to maintain a healthy body. Additionally, seafood is low in calories and can provide a balanced diet.
Eating fish is a terrific method to get both nutritious and delicious cuisine. There are so many various varieties of seafood to pick from—salmon, cod, shrimp, tuna, scallops, clams, crab, mussels, and swordfish, to name a few—that you really can’t complain about not having enough options.
Furthermore, eating seafood is a fantastic source of protein and vitamin D, both of which have numerous health benefits, such as lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke. Fortunately, we have lots of seafood dishes for you to try at home. Cooking fish is easy than you think once you know what to do!
When you’re shopping at the store, consider choosing sustainable seafood options. They’re not only healthier for your body, but they’re better for the environment, too. If you’re not sure which seafood is best to eat, check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch list before choosing your favorite healthy seafood recipes. If you don’t have time to browse through the list, it’s always safe to opt for the wild-caught fish instead of the farm-raised varieties.
1. Spicy Black Bean & Shrimp Salad Recipe
Shrimp is a great option if you’re trying to cook more healthy seafood recipes. They’re inexpensive, low in calories, and full of proteins. This spicy shrimp salad is one of my favorites because it combines fiber-rich black beans, fresh corn and tomatoes, and healthy-fat-filled avocados.
Get the recipe: Spicy Black Bean & Shrimp Salad Recipe
2. Baked Lemon Salmon and Asparagus Foil Pack
One of my favorite ways to cook fish is in a foil pack. It reminds me a little of camping, but it can easily be done in the backyard grill or even inside in the oven. The foil seals in the flavors, healthily steaming the salmon while cooking the vegetables to perfect. And, clean-up after this meal is as easy as it gets!
Get the recipe: Baked Lemon Salmon and Asparagus Foil Pack
3. Tuna Zucchini Noodle Bake
This low-carb dish uses zoodles instead of traditional pasta noodles, making this a super healthy way to eat more seafood. The tuna fish, tomato sauce, and milk come together to create a super savory sauce as this easy casserole bakes. You’ll never look at a can of tuna fish the same again!
Get the recipe: Tuna Zucchini Noodle Bake
4. Skinny Salmon, Kale, & Cashew Bowl
This is one of my favorite healthy seafood recipes for quick weeknight meals. It’s ready in only 15 minutes and it’s packed full of superfoods like kale and quinoa. This recipe is a perfect way to introduce more omega-3 fatty-acid-rich salmon into your diet!
Get the recipe: Skinny Salmon, Kale, & Cashew Bowl
5. Curried Coconut Mussels
Mussels are a great option when you’re trying to eat more healthy seafood recipes. They’re easy to cook and they’re basically all protein! In addition to being low in calories and fat, mussels are high in vitamin B-12, selenium, manganese, vitamin C, iron, and potassium.
Get the recipe: Curried Coconut Mussels
6. Honey Garlic Shrimp Stir-Fry
Enjoy the sweet-and-spicy flavors of this tasty stir-fry. It’s a great way to incorporate more seafood into your diet while also increasing your vegetable intake. Serve it up over brown rice or cauliflower rice for a meal filled with balanced nutrition.
Get the recipe: Honey Garlic Shrimp Stir-Fry
7. Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Salmon, Cucumber and Mint
The flavors of wild salmon pair perfectly with the fresh ingredients in this summery salad. Crunchy cucumbers and bell peppers, juicy tomatoes, cooling mint, and a zesty dressing. Sounds about perfect to me!
Get the recipe: Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Salmon, Cucumber and Mint
8. Tuna Salad Stuffed Avocado
Ditch the can of tuna fish and opt for a fresh tuna fillet instead for this ultra-rich and healthy tuna salad recipe. Between the fresh tuna and the creamy avocado, you’ll love the texture and flavor in this dish. Not to mention that it’s filled with vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats!
Get the recipe: Tuna Salad Stuffed Avocado
9. Linguine and Clams
This recipe from the Smitten Kitchen is comfort food re-defined, but it’s actually super healthy for you! Clams are a low-calorie, low-fat, high-protein seafood option that also happens to be high in vitamins and minerals like B vitamins, zinc, iron, and selenium. If you’re trying to keep things low-carb, swap in zucchini noodles for the linguine.
Get the recipe: Linguine and Clams
10. Easy Sweet Chili Salmon
This Whole30, Paleo-friendly, gluten-free salmon recipe from The Big Man Cooks is quick, easy, and delicious. This is definitely a healthy seafood recipe that should be on your weeknight dinners list. After all, it doesn’t get much better than a protein-packed meal that’s ready in only 10 minutes!
Get the recipe: Easy Sweet Chili Salmon
11. One-Pack Shrimp Bake
Foil packets are the perfect way to keep your clean-up to a minimum. And, you don’t need to cook them outside on the grill, either! You can toss these shrimp-filled foil packets into the oven and they’ll be ready in only 20 minutes.
Get the recipe: One-Pack Shrimp Bake
12. Salmon Quinoa Cakes
Switch up your routine by making these Salmon Quinoa Cakes. This is one of my favorite healthy seafood recipes when I’ve been stuck in a rut and can’t think of what to make for dinner (although, they’re pretty good for breakfast, too). You’ll love the texture as much as the flavor.
Get the recipe: Salmon Quinoa Cakes
13. Grilled Shrimp Cocktail
Keep things simple with this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. All you need to do is skewer up some shrimp and throw them on the Barbie. It’s super easy to make your cocktail sauce from scratch, too, which allows you to control the ingredients.
Get the recipe: Grilled Shrimp Cocktail
14. Avocado Tuna Cakes
I absolutely adore the flavors in these Avocado Tuna Cakes from Well Plated. It’s a great way to transform canned tuna into something fun and different. And, honestly, anything made with avocado is usually a winner in my book!
Get the recipe: Avocado Tuna Cakes
15. 30-Minute Lemon Basil Shrimp and Asparagus Recipe
These flavors pair perfectly together – bright lemon, herbaceous basil, and green asparagus. Add in some pungent garlic, spicy red pepper flakes, and low-calorie shrimp and you’ve really got a winner!
Get the recipe: 30-Minute Lemon Basil Shrimp and Asparagus Recipe
16. Baked Fish and Chips
Everyone knows about fish and chips, but it’s not exactly high on the list of healthy seafood recipes. Not anymore! Thanks to this recipe from Well Plated, we now have a way to bake our “fried” fish instead! This is a great recipe to get into cod, but you could also use any white fish (like Pollock or halibut).
Get the recipe: Baked Fish and Chips
17. Sweet Potato Tuna Melts
Talk about a fun way to create a fun twist on a classic! This recipe from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen uses sweet potato steaks as the “buns” for these tuna melts. That makes them low-carb in addition to being high in protein (and, super flavorful, too!).
Get the recipe: Sweet Potato Tuna Melts
18. Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Taco Slaw
Fish tacos are high on my go-to list when I’m looking for healthy seafood recipes. It’s so easy to coax a lot of flavor out of the filling, and you can use almost any type of seafood. This recipe from Well Plated uses high-protein, low-calorie shrimp instead of fish, and it totally works.
Get the recipe: Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Taco Slaw
19. Pan Seared Salmon with Thai Vegetables
Salmon is one of those versatile ingredients that goes well with a variety of flavors. You can keep things simple with lemon and garlic, or you can go for bold, Thai flavors. Have some fun with this recipe!
Get the recipe: Pan Seared Salmon with Thai Vegetables
20. Grilled Fish Bowls with Garlic Scapes and Kale
In addition to being completely beautiful, these grilled fish bowls from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen are filled with nutrient-dense ingredients. She uses wild salmon fillets, but this is a great recipe to experiment with different kinds of fish.
Get the recipe: Grilled Fish Bowls with Garlic Scapes and Kale
21. Instant Pot Shrimp and Grits
Who doesn’t love the comforting flavors of shrimp and grits? Our recipe is a skinny version of the Southern classic, and we keep the calories low by making smart ingredient choices. The best part? This is one of those healthy seafood recipes that requires almost no effort at all, thanks to the use of the Instant Pot!
Get the recipe: Instant Pot Shrimp and Grits
Like our content? Discover more:
- Mediterranean Tuna Salad
- The Best Cucumber Tuna Sandwich Recipe
- Grilled Tuna Tacos with Fresh Mango Salsa
- Italian Tuna Wraps
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