Can you eat canned tuna while pregnant?
In moderationYes, canned tuna is safe within a weekly limit. Keep it to 2 or 3 servings of canned light tuna a week, or 1 serving if it is albacore (white) tuna, since albacore carries about three times the mercury.
Why
The issue with tuna is mercury, which crosses the placenta and can affect a baby's developing brain and nervous system. The FDA's fish advice puts canned light tuna (skipjack) in the Best Choices group at 2 to 3 servings a week, and albacore or white tuna in the Good Choices group at 1 serving a week, where a serving is 4 ounces cooked, roughly the size of your palm. The NHS sets a similar ceiling: no more than 4 medium cans of tuna or 2 fresh tuna steaks per week. Tuna is not on any avoid list, and it brings protein, selenium, and vitamin D, so there is no reason to drop it entirely.
Safer alternatives
- Canned pink or sockeye salmon, a Best Choice with far less mercury
- Canned sardines in olive oil
- Canned light skipjack tuna in place of albacore, same sandwich, a third of the mercury
- Cooked shrimp or canned crab for a cold salad
Sources
- FDA https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/advice-about-eating-fish
- NHS https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/fish-and-shellfish-nutrition/
Every verdict follows our sourcing methodology: official health guidelines only, most cautious position when they differ.
Last reviewed by the pregAI editorial team.
Frequently asked questions
How many cans of tuna can I eat a week while pregnant?
For canned light tuna, 2 to 3 servings a week, with a serving counted as 4 ounces. The NHS phrases the same ceiling as up to 4 medium cans a week. If you are eating albacore or white tuna, drop to 1 serving a week.
Is albacore tuna different from light tuna?
Yes, and the difference matters. Albacore is a larger, longer-lived fish, so it accumulates roughly three times the mercury of skipjack, which is what gets canned as light tuna. That is why the FDA allows 2 to 3 servings a week of light tuna but only 1 of albacore.
What about a fresh tuna steak or seared tuna?
The NHS counts 2 fresh tuna steaks a week as the limit, and they count toward the same mercury budget as canned. Have it cooked through rather than rare or seared, since raw fish is a separate Listeria question. Bigeye tuna, often sold as ahi steak, is on the FDA's avoid list for its mercury level.
Related foods
All fish & seafood verdicts for pregnancy Browse all foods: can I eat this while pregnant?Get instant verdicts on any food
pregAI scans any dish, product or menu and answers in seconds, grounded in the same official sources.
Get instant verdicts on any foodpregAI is informational only and is not medical advice. Always check with your doctor or midwife about anything specific to your pregnancy.