Foods › Fish & Seafood

Can I eat sardines while pregnant or breastfeeding?

Pregnant

✓ Likely safe

Sardines are a lower-mercury, omega-3 rich fish and are likely a good choice when cooked or canned.

EPA/FDA fish advice
CDC safer food choices in pregnancy

Breastfeeding

✓ Likely safe

Sardines are a lower-mercury, omega-3 rich fish and are likely a good choice when cooked or canned.

EPA/FDA fish advice
CDC diet while breastfeeding

Cooked sardines arranged on a plate with parsley and lemon

Not sure about the next thing on your plate?

Snap a photo in Oatleaf and get safe, caution or avoid for your stage in seconds, with the reason and the source.

Get Oatleaf on iPhone Or check another food on oatleaf.app, free.

More foods to check

How these answers are made

Oatleaf answers come from public food-safety guidance, mainly the CDC, FDA and EPA for the US and the NHS for the UK. Each answer cites the pages it relies on, and every link was opened and checked in October 2026. Where US and UK advice differ, the answer says so. Written by the Oatleaf team at Astralab Studios. It is general information, not medical advice.

Last reviewed October 2026.