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    Ingredient guide · Ingredient reference

    Is sablefish nutritious? Its omega-3 content and mercury category

    Sablefish supplies protein and substantial EPA and DHA, but its mercury category still matters. Compare the cooked portion and preparation rather than treating every fish meal as nutritionally interchangeable.

    Read the evidence ↓

    Supplement Science Insights Editorial Team

    Published September 23, 2026

    What the USDA entry measures

    The USDA SR Legacy record for sablefish cooked with dry heat lists, per 100 g edible portion, 250 calories, 17.19 g protein and 19.62 g fat. It also lists 0.867 g EPA and 0.920 g DHA, totaling about 1.79 g of those two omega-3 fats. These are historical reference values from the 2018 dataset, not a laboratory result for the fish on your plate. [1]

    A nutrient-rich fish still has a mercury category

    FDA places sablefish in Good Choices. For someone pregnant or breastfeeding, its chart advises one serving per week from that category, rather than the two to three servings allowed from Best Choices; the adult serving is 4 ounces. Use the separate child guidance when planning a child’s meals. [2]

    Preparation changes the comparison

    The dry-heat entry is not a smoked-fish, restaurant-sauce or breaded-fish analysis. A larger portion increases the listed amounts, while added ingredients can change sodium, fat and calories. Its EPA and DHA content describes food composition; it does not establish a treatment effect or a prescribed omega-3 dose. [1][3][4]

    Apply both the portion and species information

    Imagine a menu offers sablefish with a rich sauce. Use the fish entry to understand its protein and fats, then account separately for the sauce and serving size. If pregnancy guidance applies, check the species category as well; a favorable omega-3 number does not override mercury advice. [1][2]

    Hypothetical example — compare a meal portion without confusing it with a treatment dose
    CheckInterpretation
    100 g cooked referenceAbout 17 g protein and 1.79 g EPA plus DHA
    Smoked or sauced preparationUse the relevant product or recipe information
    Pregnancy or breastfeedingFollow the Good Choices serving guidance
    Is sablefish nutritious? Its omega-3 content and mercury category — original article outline diagram
    Original editorial diagram of this article’s sections; no product photograph or clinical finding is depicted.

    Sources for this article

    1. USDA FoodData Central — SR Legacy April 2018 food composition dataset
      Source consulted: 2026-09-20. This is a reference resource, not a claim that we conducted the studies or tested a product.
    2. Advice about Eating Fish | FDA
      Source consulted: 2026-09-20. This is a reference resource, not a claim that we conducted the studies or tested a product.
    3. How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label | FDA
      Source consulted: 2026-09-20. This is a reference resource, not a claim that we conducted the studies or tested a product.
    4. Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Health Professional Fact Sheet
      Source consulted: 2026-09-20. This is a reference resource, not a claim that we conducted the studies or tested a product.