Can you eat escolar while pregnant?
In moderationLimit escolar to one serving a week, and skip it raw. Escolar is not on the FDA's Best Choices or Good Choices list, so follow the FDA rule for fish with no specific advice: one 4-ounce cooked serving and no other fish that week.
Why
The concern is mercury. The FDA and EPA sort fish into Best Choices, Good Choices and Choices to Avoid based on mercury content, and escolar appears on none of those lists, which means there is no cleared weekly amount for it. For any fish without advice available, the FDA says to eat only one serving and no other fish that week, so one 4-ounce portion is your ceiling. Escolar also shows up raw in sushi and sashimi, often labeled white tuna, and the CDC tells pregnant people to skip raw and undercooked fish because of Listeria and other foodborne bacteria. Cooked escolar inside that one-serving limit fits the guidance; raw escolar does not.
Safer alternatives
- Canned light skipjack tuna
- Farmed Atlantic salmon fillet, cooked to 145F
- Cooked shrimp
- Canned sardines in olive oil
- Tilapia or cod fillet
- Fully cooked shrimp or crab rolls instead of white tuna sashimi
Sources
- FDA https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/advice-about-eating-fish
- CDC https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/foods/pregnant-women.html
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
Is escolar the same as white tuna?
No, but it is frequently sold and served under that name, especially as sushi or sashimi. If a menu says white tuna or butterfish, ask what the fish actually is. Albacore tuna has its own FDA advice; escolar has none, so it falls under the one-serving-per-week rule.
Can I eat escolar sushi while pregnant?
Skip it. The CDC advises pregnant people to avoid raw and undercooked fish because raw seafood can carry Listeria and other bacteria that cross the placenta. Escolar cooked through to 145F is the version that fits the guidance.
How much escolar can I eat in one week?
One 4-ounce cooked serving, and no other fish that week. That is the FDA instruction for any fish with no published mercury advice, and escolar is not listed in any of the FDA's three categories. If you would rather keep your two weekly fish servings, pick salmon, sardines or canned light tuna instead.
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