Cod is one of the best fish you can eat. It delivers 20 grams of protein in a 4-ounce serving with only 90 calories and half a gram of fat, making it one of the leanest animal proteins available. It’s also low in mercury, rich in several essential nutrients, and versatile enough to work with almost any cooking method.
Nutritional Profile of Cod
A 4-ounce (112-gram) serving of cooked cod provides 20 grams of protein, 0.5 grams of fat, and 90 calories. That protein-to-calorie ratio is hard to beat. Atlantic cod tends to have slightly more fat than Pacific cod, but both varieties are firmly in the “lean fish” category.
Beyond the macros, cod is an excellent source of vitamin B12, selenium, phosphorus, iodine, niacin, and choline. Vitamin B12 supports nerve function and red blood cell production, while selenium acts as an antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage. Iodine is essential for thyroid function, and many people don’t get enough of it from other foods. A single serving of cod checks several of these boxes at once.
Omega-3 Content Compared to Fattier Fish
Cod contains omega-3 fatty acids, but less than oily fish like salmon or mackerel. A 3-ounce serving of Pacific cod provides about 100 milligrams of DHA and 40 milligrams of EPA. That’s meaningful but modest. For comparison, the same portion of salmon can deliver five to ten times more.
Still, eating cod as part of a balanced diet promotes heart health, particularly when it replaces less nutritious protein sources like processed meat. Research from the NIH shows that consuming seafood regularly helps lower triglycerides, and the cardiovascular benefits are especially strong for people who otherwise eat very little omega-3. If you’re relying solely on cod for your omega-3 intake, though, you may want to mix in fattier fish a couple of times a week.
Cod and Weight Management
Cod’s high protein content and extremely low calorie count make it a strong choice if you’re trying to lose or maintain weight. Protein is the most filling macronutrient, and getting 20 grams for just 90 calories means you can build a satisfying meal without spending much of your daily calorie budget.
Animal research supports this further. Studies in mice found that replacing part of the dietary protein with cod protein significantly decreased blood triglycerides, circulating fatty acids, and fat accumulation in the liver. Separate research showed that diets including lean seafood like cod helped reduce obesity driven by high-fat, high-sugar feeding. The researchers noted that even though cod fillets are low in omega-3s compared to fatty fish, the cod-containing diet still produced beneficial metabolic effects, suggesting something about the protein itself may be protective.
Mercury and Contaminant Levels
Cod averages 0.11 parts per million of mercury, which is well below the threshold that warrants concern for most people. For context, the FDA considers fish with mercury levels below 0.15 ppm to be among the “best choices,” meaning you can safely eat two to three servings per week. Cod falls comfortably in that range, making it a safe option for pregnant women, children, and anyone eating fish regularly.
A 2025 study examining Atlantic cod caught in the Barents Sea near Svalbard did find microplastics in 45% of fillets tested, mostly polypropylene fragments. Based on typical consumption patterns, an average European would ingest roughly 8 microplastic particles per week through cod. The health implications of microplastic ingestion at these levels are still not well understood, but the concentrations found were low, and only trace amounts of chemical additives were detected in the samples.
Best Ways to Cook Cod
How you cook cod matters for preserving its nutrients. Baking and steaming are the gentlest methods. Boiling has been shown to preserve omega-3 fatty acids significantly more than frying or microwaving, which is worth knowing even though cod’s omega-3 content is modest. B vitamins are water-soluble, so they leach out when cod is simmered in liquid or roasted at high temperatures for a long time. Roasting at high heat can reduce B vitamin content by as much as 40%.
The practical takeaway: cook cod quickly and avoid submerging it in water you plan to discard. Baking at moderate heat, pan-searing briefly, or steaming all work well. If you do poach or simmer cod, using the cooking liquid as a sauce or broth base lets you recapture some of the nutrients that leached out. Frying in oil adds significant calories and can damage the delicate omega-3s, so it’s the least ideal option if nutrition is your priority.
How Cod Compares to Other White Fish
Cod sits alongside tilapia, haddock, and pollock as a lean white fish, but it has a few advantages. Its texture is firmer and flakier than tilapia, which makes it more forgiving to cook. It has a milder, cleaner flavor than haddock, making it approachable for people who don’t love “fishy” tastes. Nutritionally, the differences among white fish are small. They’re all high-protein, low-fat, and low-mercury. Cod’s edge is its particularly strong iodine and B12 content.
If you’re choosing between cod and a fatty fish like salmon, the decision depends on your goals. Salmon delivers far more omega-3s, which makes it better for heart and brain health per serving. Cod delivers more protein per calorie, which gives it the advantage for strict calorie control. Eating both throughout the week is the simplest way to get the benefits of each.